Protection
by HeelTurnx
Summary: AU : Everyone in her life seems to be there only because her father pays them to. Why, then, is she suddenly so drawn to a man hired to protect her? And in this case, how does she know if he cares, too? Roman Reigns/OC
1. Part 1

A/N: This is an AU story which will include many wrestlers! Hope you enjoy it, if you do let me know! xx

* * *

 **Protection: Part 1**

" _Roman, run!"_

 _He heard his name in an echo, his ears ringing loud enough to drown out most of the noise. His surroundings were foggy and time seemed to be slowed down, as though to give him enough time to look around in desperation at the absolute mess they had created. His eyes went from the limp body on the ground to the red flickering light reflecting on the wall rhythmically, to Jey's panicked shape as he kept screaming up at him through his face mask. He could see his lips moving, recognizing his names through the words, but could no longer hear anything else but the ringing. That awful, time-shattering ringing._

 _He closed his eyes, pressing his eyelids together with all his might, focusing on his beating heart as he inhaled, and when he opened his eyes again he could almost hear Jey's screeching voice._

" _Let's go, Uce!"_

 _As sound came back to him, time suddenly moved forward at a fast pace, every detail of this moment an irritation to his senses. His body switched to auto drive as he followed his cousin's large steps towards the back door, risking a last glance at the figure on the ground._

 _His breath caught in his throat as he turned._

Please don't be dead.

* * *

Her bare feet made no sound as she slid nonchalantly on the marbled floor, meeting the pressuring heat of the Miami air. The crushing difference between the inside of the air-conditioned villa and the outside sent an uncomfortable shiver across her pale skin, and she frowned. She had barely made it a few feet and she already felt sweaty from carrying a sunscreen bottle and a book to her pool-side lounge chair.

"Hey Rollins."

"Hey Emma."

She sent a meek smile to the man leaning against the bricked fence surrounding the villa, his figure slightly hidden in the shade. The security guards had to wear buttoned up dark shirts and long pants, which would render them uncomfortable most of their time outside.

Rollins was her favourite guard, the only one she really spoke to, since he was a little closer to her in age and gave off an unthreatening vibe. That was not something she could say about most of the men her father contracted. Most of them made her fearful more than anything else.

Speaking of which, as she settled on the chair, making sure to leave the umbrella to cover her body, her eyes met strong, intense ones and felt the need to look down at her book in a flash. He was here today, and she'd noticed the second he made his way through the door.

Not that she'd been waiting to see if he would show up. She just happened to be close by when it happened. Pure coincidence.

He'd started working there a few months ago, three to be exact. Not that she'd counted. He was there for four or five days at a time and then gone for two.

The second she'd laid eyes on him, she was hooked. Everything about him was mesmerizing; his eyes, his generous lips, his smile (which she only saw twice), his muscular arms, one covered his tattoos she had a very hard time not staring at, his long beautiful hair he always kept in a tight bun on the back of his head. He didn't speak very much, but when he did, his voice sent thrilling shivers down her legs which usually had her stammering and sweating.

She knew he was friends with Rollins; they were nearly always together if they weren't sent to do something else. They would go around the house side by side, speaking to each other through their earpiece if they got too far (which rarely happened). They were like a pack, especially when they were joined by this other guard who's name she'd forgotten. He wasn't there as much as the other two, but he was obviously part of their group.

Together they roamed the area, making sure everything was in order, protecting the property. Protecting the family. Protecting _her_.

The concept was familiar at this point in her life but still surreal. No other girl she'd been to high school with had people following them around everywhere like she did. She dreaded this reality even more during the summer like this, when all her friends were free to celebrate the vacations away as they pleased whilst she had to stay in most of the time or have a stoic, overly dressed bodyguard tagging along.

It's not like she was the First Lady or anything, or the daughter of some important politician. She was just Emma, daughter of renown local businessman man William Regal, head of a multi-million-dollar illegal gun trade in the center of Miami.

No big deal, really.

" _They'll use you to get to me,"_ he would tell her.

" _Who's 'they'?"_ she would ask incredulously. He would then give her a hard stare and order her to take Rollins with her wherever she was going that time.

Bottom line: she had little to no privacy. Her safe heaven was her bedroom, where she could get away from protective stares under the excuse that she was going to study, nap or call a friend. Spending entire days confined to a single room got old very fast, however, and she had no choice but to hang around the villa or have someone take her places.

"Oh Emma, get out from under that umbrella, you need a tan," a voice cooed to her right, and the young girl snapped out of her thoughts as she watched her step mother take the lounge chair next to hers. She was suddenly thankful for her dark sunglasses and she couldn't suppress an eyeroll and the older woman's words.

"I'll burn," Emma mumbled, burying her face in her book as to end the conversation.

"That's what sunscreen is for," the other woman laughed, and Emma only let out an aggravated sigh. She couldn't understand what her father saw in Maryse; then again she couldn't understand why he was with any other woman he'd brought around for her entire childhood and teenage years. Maryse was his third marriage in ten years, and the fact that this was approximately the age difference the two women shared was only the tip of the iceberg as to why Emma wanted nothing to do with her.

Emma watched as her father's wife applied sunscreen over her toned body, moving around in her revealing two-piece bikini, almost purposely sensualizing the whole affair, and that was enough to make her rethink her afternoon by the pool.

"Where are you going?" Maryse asked as Emma stood up to leave, grabbing her things quickly.

"Inside. Too hot" she justified, making her way towards the house reluctantly. She was halfway there when she heard Maryse's voice singing Seth's name, asking him to put sunscreen on her back. She risked a glance towards him and could only frown as he made his way over, obviously uncomfortable. Her stare was a second too long, however, and she collided with a wall as soon as she reached the back door of the house, her book and sunscreen bottle falling to the ground.

"Sorry, ma'am," a gruff voice spoke, and Emma gulped as she looked up at Reigns' face. Her face flushed as their eyes met, and she was once again too mesmerized by his features to articulate a single word. She was thankful for having worn a sundress over her bikini, feeling already frozen solid under his stare, and let him lean over to grab her fallen items and hand them back to her. "You dropped this."

"Oh."

She took her things back with trembling fingers, their palms touching in a brief second, but enough to render her speechless once more. She made an unintelligible sound, somewhere between an apology and a thank you, and basically ran from him towards her bedroom, her heart pounding.

She felt like a complete mess when he was concerned, basically always falling over herself when he was around. The constant embarrassment was almost too much to bare.

Emma quickly changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top, sliding her feet into a pair of sneakers as she made her way towards her father's office. When he wasn't out _dealing with his business_ , he spent most of his time in there, dealing with more _business_.

Her knuckles softly hit the door frame three times when she got there, getting his attention.

"Hey Dad, I'm'a head out to the library for a bit. I've got to return some books I borrowed for school," she announced, her body already halfway out the door when he spoke.

"Is Rollins going with you?" he inquired, barely lifting his eyes off the sheet of paper in front of him.

"Uh- I think he was busy." Emma glanced at the window, catching a glance at Maryse as she swam in the pool, all the while sending googly eyes at Seth who had reached his previous position by the shade.

"Then take Reigns," her father concluded, meeting her face to smile softly at her, as though to apologize for forcing a guard on her. She grunted but nodded anyway, already dreading having to go speak to the man after embarrassing herself in front of him only minutes prior.

"Fine."

She only had to walk around for a few minutes before she found him, sitting by the backyard door, watching the outside with a stern eye. She cleared her throat once, and he spun around in a flash, surprise showing on his features. Her tiny frame gave her the advantage of not making a lot of sounds as she walked.

"Could you, um, take me to the library?" she asked him in a small voice. "Please."

Roman's eyes widened slightly, and he glanced back at Rollins, wondering why he wasn't the one going with her, seeing as he usually was. She took his hesitation as a sign of him not wanting to go, however, and she swallowed harshly, her stomach twisting.

"I'll ask Seth, it's fine," she mumbled, but he spoke up before she could move.

"I'll take you."

She nodded, her lungs filling up with air once more, and made her way towards the garage from the inside of the house, Roman on her tail. She made it to the car before she mentally kicked herself, turning on her heel awkwardly.

"I left my books in my room," she admitted, letting out an uncomfortable laugh before she went back to gather her things. She tried to ignore the smirk that showed on his face as she walked away, once again hating herself for being so careless in front of him.

 _He must think I'm the biggest idiot in the world,_ she scolded herself, clenching her jaw in frustration as she made her way back. Roman was already sitting behind the wheel and she only had a slight hesitation before she climbed in the back seat opposite him. She'd concluded, somehow, that being far from him might keep her from messing up a third time.

The drive was painfully silent and Emma clutched her books for dear life, trying to ignore the amazing view she had on his tattooed arm. He'd pulled up his sleeves whilst she was back in the house, unbuttoning the front of his shirt, letting go of the uniform while outside of the villa. He was only wearing a tight white t-shirt underneath, and she caught herself staring at his toned chest through the side mirror on her side. Before he caught her, that is, and she kept her eyes glued to the seat in front of her for the rest of the ride.

Her cheeks were still flushed when they finally reached the library, Roman turning the engine off but not moving. She opened her door slowly, and he looked back at her, hatching his strong arm around the passenger's seat to pull himself towards her.

"I'll be here," he spoke, and Emma once again stared at his face a second too long, almost forgetting how to speak.

"You don't have to stay in the car," she heard herself say, and if she could, she would've have high-fived herself for articulating a complete sentence. "I might rent a few more, I don't want to keep you waiting in the heat."

The logic of her justification booted her confidence slightly, especially when he nodded and followed her out of the car. He walked beside her, taking big strides, and she had to do a little jog to catch up with him. He slowed down when he noticed, apologizing under his breath as he opened the front door for her. She thanked him, very aware of how awkward they were being; polite and silent all at once.

She returned the books shyly as the librarian scolded her for bringing them in so late. She had kept them a few weeks too long, having rented them for her finals right before graduating high school. The woman stopped talking altogether, however, when she noticed Roman's presence and the way he was looking hardly at her, excusing herself to the back store quickly.

Emma caught his attention by giving him a reprimanding stare, and he smirked, shrugging, pretending he had no idea what he'd done wrong. She could only shake her head, smiling back, tension finally leaving her shoulders at their shared moment.

They spent a little over an hour at the library, Emma browsing through rows of books, grabbing whichever one she was interested in. Roman waited for her at a table, flipping through his phone awkwardly, feeling out of place, getting confused stares from other people. He figured they knew he didn't belong there, doing nothing but wait on a chair he barely fit on.

Emma stole glances at him when she could, chuckling under her breath at his awkwardness. It was almost adorable.

When she joined him at last, she was carrying a dozen books in her hands with difficulty, and Roman instinctively grabbed them out of her arms without hesitation. She was taken aback by the action, having not thought of him as the gentleman type, but then again realizing she really didn't know much about him. Roman hesitated in asking her why she bothered renting books and having to return them if she could so obviously afford to buy them, but decided against it.

Somehow he figured talking about her father's money was not a subject she favoured, and certainly not the first extensive conversation he wanted to have with her.

"You don't talk much, do you?" he asked her once they'd been driving back for a few minutes, and her head snapped in his direction in surprise.

"Oh, uh- no, not so much," she agreed, nodding. "You don't either, though."

She saw his grin through the rear-view mirror and her cheeks warmed up suddenly, almost proud that she had succeeding in making him smile.

"Touché."

Emma chuckled, relaxing in her seat. For the rest of the ride, he asked her questions about what books she'd taken, and she proceeded to list them all before going into detail about what kind of books she liked. He listened to her with attention throughout the whole thing, and when she was done he let out a laugh. She felt uneasy for a second, wondering if she'd said something stupid that would elicit such a reaction.

"So you _do_ speak," he laughed, and she mimicked him shakily, wondering if she'd been too enthused in what she was saying to realize she was being annoying. "I like it."

Her cheeks flushed for what seemed like the hundredth time as Roman parked the car in the garage. She was almost disappointed the ride was over, going back to her confined walls of the villa where she didn't feel as comfortable as she did here, with him.

"Thanks for driving me," she told him, stepping out of the car along with him, and he waved her comment away.

"Don't mention it. It's what I'm here for," he shrugged as they made their way inside the house once more.

 _Right,_ she thought, _you're paid to do this._

The thought weighted on her shoulders as he carried her books to her room, leaving them by her desk before stepping out quickly, as though he didn't want to spend any more time than necessary inside.

Roman was hired to be there with her. He was nice and helpful because he _had_ to, not because he wanted to. In all her excitement of spending time with him, she had foolishly forgotten that.

She had almost forgotten that most people she was in contact with were there because of her father's money. She even suspected a lot of her friends to hang around her for that reason alone. Everyone else was there because he father had told them to, because he had no time to do it himself.

As she let herself fall on her bed, bringing her knees to her chest, she wondered sadly if she would ever find someone to be with her simply because they wanted to.

* * *

Thanks for reading, leave me a review ;)


	2. Part 2

_Hello everyone! Thank you for the reviews and the follows for this story, it's very nice to get some feedback._

 _Enjoy this one ;) xx_

* * *

 **Protection - Part 2**

Roman woke up in a panic, the dream leaving him as he gasped for air. It was like breaching the surface of dark waters after swimming upwards in a frenzy for too long. He sat up quickly, a cold sweat glistening over his chest and arms, as his eyes blinked through the darkness.

There was no shooting outside, or sounds of screams in the distance. He was in bed, safe, and everything was silent but for the busy sound of rain on the widow glass. It rarely rained down here, and when it did, it was short and violent. That might have been what had woken him up, and he was thankful for it. His dreams were a sore sight, and there were ever so present. In the past he had been fond of sleeping, always staying in late and welcoming the comfort of his bed every night. Now he dreaded it.

After collecting himself, Roman slipped into a pair of sweats and a black t-shirt, securing his handgun at his waist on his back, and headed towards the main house. He didn't have to take watch until the early morning, but the thought of forcing himself back to sleep had his stomach in a knot. Instead he went around the house, stopping by the surveillance room to check the cameras around the property. There were only a few in important spots: main door, back door, garage door, Mr. Regal's office, and the hallway leading to Emma's room. Roman's eyes lingered on it only for a second, his mind wondering if she was sleeping better than he was.

Since their outing the week before, Roman had accompanied Emma everywhere she went. He enjoyed her presence almost as much as she did his. She was quiet, calm, but when she spoke her eyes would light up with such passion for her stories, her goals, her plans for the future, that he didn't know which part of her he liked best. Her soothing, easygoing presence, or her loud, excited ramblings about a better life.

The more time he spent with her, the more he realized how difficult her father's career path was on her. He would wonder what had happened to her mother, or why her father was making himself so busy instead of spending time with his daughter, or why she took it in silence instead of standing her ground. He would sometimes wish she would just explode, yell, talk back, act on what he knew were introverted feelings of inadequacy towards her surroundings.

Strolling around the quiet house, Roman supressed a yawn and made his way to the kitchen, staring dreamily at the coffee maker. The guys had one in their quarters but it had this burnt aftertaste that made it almost impossible to enjoy. When they left early enough for errands, Emma would offer him coffee with the family's own machine, lending him a traveling mug so he could have it in the car driving her. He would always refuse and she would always insist, smiling joyfully when she finally won.

She always won.

The sound of steps rang behind Roman, and in a flash, he had his hand on his weapon, sliding in out of his pants instinctively. He had his gun point at Rollins' face before he could even register who he was standing next to, and the other man let out a gasp when his eyes met the barrel of the pistol a few inches away.

"Jesus, man, it's me!" he panicked, his hands coming up in front of himself in defense. Roman's eyes went wide before he brought the gun downwards, placing it back where it came from slowly.

"Sorry, brother," Roman apologized, his voice calmer than he felt. He wished his first reaction to anything wasn't to point weapons at people, but he couldn't control it at this point. He was hired to protect, so that's what he did.

"What are you doing up?" Seth asked him, his breath slowing down to a normal rhythm. "I still got a few hours on my shift."

"Couldn't sleep," Roman justified, using a stool by the kitchen counter to lean on.

"Still having nightmares, huh?" Seth inquired, and Roman only nodded awkwardly, his fingers playing with a small crack on the wooden countertop. "Alright then, do you mind if I hit the hay early? I'm beat."

"Sure, no problem."

Seth walked over to his friend, clapping his shoulder lightly as a thank you, before dragging his feet to their shared quarter. Roman watched his disappear behind him before his eyes darted around the room through the darkness. Those were one of his favourite moments working here, being able to spend time by himself in silence whilst also feeling like he was being useful. He got to have moments of calmness where he could focus on his own breathing, knowing that he had purpose being there.

From his sitting position, he had a pretty clear view of the backyard, most of this part of the house consisting in wall-high glass windows where light would peer through during the day. He would be able to see everything that was going on inside and outside of house; Regal working in his office on the right, Mrs. Regal tanning by the pool, Emma reading a book in the shade.

The rain was growing stronger and Roman could see flashes of lighting before the sky would rumble. The house was all the more humid, and even with the AC, Roman could feel sweat prickling on his forehead.

As he was standing to go pace around, he heard it.

A gut-wrenching scream coming from his right, towards the hallway where Emma's room was located. Roman took off in a run, making it to her room within seconds, his shoulder colliding with her door as he turned the handle and fell through the frame.

His eyes landed on Emma's face, her panicked orbits being the only part visible as she had her covers stretched over herself and up her chin. She was breathing heavily, her knees pressed to herself under the blankets.

"Are you okay?" Roman all but yelled, his stare studying the room to try and see what would be the cause of her trouble.

"I'm fine," her trembling voice spoke, the bottom of her face still hidden behind the covers.

"You screamed," he insisted, searching her face, and finally she let the blanket fall to her thighs, revealing her features full of fear and the outline of a tight tank top. If it hadn't been so dark, Roman would have been able to see her red cheeks full of embarrassment and her quivering bottom lip.

"I'm sorry. I was having a bad dream and I… The thunder startled me," she explained in a small voice, her stare falling to her knees, feeling to shy to hold his gaze. Swallowing hard, she wondered if a day would ever pass by that she didn't present herself as an incompetent child in front of him.

"Oh."

Roman nodded, his shoulders relaxing, suddenly feeling foolish for barging into her room and possibly scaring her even more than she had been. His adrenaline had kicked in so fast at the sounds of her screaming, he hadn't thought for a second it might have been because of something like this.

"I'm sorry," she apologized again, feeling small under his stare.

"Don't be. I…" he started, debating whether to share his earlier experience with her. "Thunder makes me queasy too."

His confession brought a smile to her face, the tightening in her chest suddenly looser. The thought that a man like him, as strong and menacing as he was, could share the same fears as her, no matter how irrational, was enough to lift whatever weight had been pressing on her shoulders. It probably wasn't true, she realized, but the fact that he was willing to tell her that, if only to make her feel better, meant a lot.

"It's really loud," she justified, her smile growing bigger, and Roman chuckled slightly, nodding.

"That it is."

A comfortable silence settled in between them, and Emma focused on the windowsill, feeling confident enough to stare down at the storm when Roman was present. She stared out for a moment, until he cleared his throat awkwardly, having been doing the same thing.

"You should get back to sleep."

Emma reluctantly agreed, nodding, as disappointed that he was leaving as she usually was. She basically saw him every single day, but time with him seemed to never last long enough. Just as Roman made a step to walk away, however, another shot a thunder rumbled outside, making her jump once more, letting go of a smaller scream.

Roman's eyes were back on her in an instant, almost like he expected something bad to have actually happened this time, and Emma felt just as embarrassed as she had after he had actually witnessed her fear firsthand.

"Would you stay with me?" she heard herself say before she could even realize it, and Roman's eyes went wide as he struggled to comprehend what she had just asked.

"Uh-what?"

"I mean, there," she went on, point at a chair close to him, resting by the right corner of the room. Roman's eyes went from her face to the chair and back to her, debating the whole thing but feeling mostly uneasy. He felt out of place in her room altogether and tried to go there as little as possible, and there she was asking him to stay with her and basically watch her sleep. He searched her features for a moment and felt a pull at his chest he could barely recognize.

And she won.

Without answering, Roman sat himself on the chair, clearing his throat a few times as he tried to convince himself that this was a good idea. He prayed to all the gods above that Emma's father wouldn't happen to pass by and wonder why the hell one of his men was currently in his daughter's room as she settled herself through the covers peacefully.

Roman debated whether to close the door and hide the situation but settled on keeping it open. He didn't need to explain to anyone why he'd locked himself in her room with her, either.

Emma's shoulders were moving at a settled rhythm and he realized she had already fallen asleep again, barely even five minutes after he had sat down.

It baffled him, really, that she would be this trusting with him. That his presence alone made her comfortable enough to leave herself in his hands as she slept. He didn't understand why a guy like him made her feel safer, when everyone in his life had always gone on about how scary he looked, towering above most at a height of 6'3, tattoos and muscles and all. He didn't mind it before, not until now.

Not until he realized he didn't want Emma to fear him, ever.

* * *

When Emma awoke a few hours later, Roman was no longer sitting in his chair. In truth, she didn't expect him to be, but she was disappointed nonetheless. Little did she know that he had only left a few minutes before, realizing he had also fallen asleep watching her.

And he'd slept well, too.

The sun was shining once again, bringing a smile to Emma's lips as she envisioned the upcoming day. She was meeting friends at the beach, and Roman would be coming with her. She felt as though she was walking on air as she got dressed and made her way to the kitchen to get breakfast. Her father was sitting by the kitchen island, sipping on a hot coffee, his robe safely tied around his waist and the morning paper wide open in his hands. Next to him, Maryse was finickily eating a few grapes, scrolling down her phone.

Roman was further away, closer to the backyard sliding doors, avoiding her gaze. Her face fell as she noticed, and she sat on a stool by her father, turning from him.

"Sleep well, sweetie?" her father asked, and she only nodded, forcing a smile. Behind her she heard Roman clear his throat and she turned her head towards him long enough to see him shift uncomfortably at the conversation. "Hope the storm wasn't too much a bother, I know how you hate it."

"Oh, it was fine. I…" She stole a glance at Roman, who was stubbornly looking straight ahead, a flush climbing up his neck. "I barely head it."

"Good to hear," William answered, placing his mug softly on the counter before him. "So, I was thinking that since I'll be busy today, you and Maryse could spend some time together. Go shopping or something like that."

Emma's eyebrows furrowed, looking between her father and his wife. Maryse seemed to be suddenly nervous, and the young woman realized she had been the one to make the proposition but hadn't felt confident enough to say it herself. Instead she'd asked her husband, who was doing a bad job at pretending he was the one to come up with the whole affair.

"Err, I mean," Emma stuttered, caught off guard. She had no idea that her step mother had any interest in getting to know her, none other ever had. "I would've liked that but… I have plans."

Maryse's face fell if only for a second, but Emma couldn't miss the look of sympathy her father gave his wife.

"It's fine," Maryse said in a cold tone. "I was planning on having lunch with Nattie anyway."

Emma was still trying to wrap her mind around what had just happened when Maryse stood and left, frustration evident in her steps. William shared a look with his daughter, silently scolding her, and Emma grunted.

"I do have plans!" she insisted, and William only shook his head as his eyes went back to his paper.

Utterly defeated, Emma grabbed a piece of toast and an apple, eating breakfast in silence. When she was done, she poured two coffees into mugs, nervously strolling towards Roman who had yet to move from his guarding position.

"Hey," she greeted him when she reached where he stood. "I wanted to thank you," she added in a softly voice, low enough that she knew her father wouldn't hear. She handed him the mug, and he looked at it with hesitation before he took it from her.

"Don't worry about it," he mumbled, his eyes more focused on the coffee holder than on her face.

"That's the thing though: I didn't worry, not after you stayed with me. So… thank you, "she pressed on, and finally he looked back at her after she was done, surprise flashing on his features.

"Anytime."

Emma couldn't help the wide smile that spread on her lips at his words, and after a few seconds, Roman smiled too. He took a sip from his mug, letting out a satisfied smile at the unburnt taste, and finally she felt a thousand times better.

"Ready to hit the beach, then?" she added, drinking from her own cup.

"Always."

* * *

Emma was ecstatic about finally getting a full day with all her friends. Most of them had busy schedules, or others were away during summer vacations, but after days of insisting, she had gotten most of them out on the same day.

As she lay on her towel, down on her stomach, her toes curling through the sand, she couldn't help stealing glances at Roman as he sat far behind. He wore a normal white t-shirt with a pair of jeans, insisting that his job wasn't to hang out with her but to look out for her. And that's what he did.

He stayed back, surveying the area, his eyes on her at all times. It made her uncomfortable, being as she wore nothing but a bikini all day, but eventually she was able to focus on her friend's conversation more than the mysterious man she liked so much. He was always in the back of her mind, though.

"Don't ya get tired of it?" Tyler, one of her friends, inquired as he lay close to her. His handsome face was hidden behind a large pair of sunglasses, his light hair falling in front of his eyes, his features tinted with confusion.

"Of what?"

"Of havin' some dude following you all the time," he explained, glancing at Roman before he looked back at her. "I mean, look at him. He looks like he's about to jump somebody."

Emma scoffed, unable keep her eyes away from the Samoan man. Sure, Roman looked menacing, but she'd grown to know him as a sweet person. He was mostly serious, and he did look tense most of the time, but he certainly wasn't violent. Not to her, anyway.

"He's nice," she argued, resting her hands under her chin.

"He doesn't _look_ bloody nice."

Emma rolled her eyes, holding in a laugh at Tyler's worried face, his comments made all the more comical with his strong British accent. Him and their friend Pete were exchange students from England who were now continuing college in the states.

"Ok Tyler," Emma laughed, amused.

"He doesn't look bad at all," her friend Alexa interjected as she sat cross-legged on the other side of Emma. "I'd let him guard _my_ body, if you catch my drift."

Alexa wiggled her brows dramatically and Tyler burst out in a fit of laugher, and Emma's eyes went wide, blushing. She stood, wiping sand off her legs as she did.

"You've got a dirty mind," she teased her friend, walking towards the water to escape the subject. The comment had her cheeks warming up at the thought, and she needed some cold water to snap her out of it.

"As if you haven't thought about it!" Alex shouted as Emma walked away, trying her best to ignore it. She stuck her tongue out at her as she went before reaching the water, and ran through it in a rush.

Behind her Roman still stared, and inside her desire still burned.

* * *

Back at the house, Emma had feigned feeling too tired to stay up and locked herself in her room. She had not been able to escape the innuendos Alexa and Tyler had thrown at her for the remainder of the day, multiple emotions unraveling every time.

She took a cold shower, emerging from her own bathroom in only a towel, and slipping into loose clothes. Once in bed, she tried to focus on anything else, but couldn't. Her mind was only filled of Roman's defined arms as he carried her bag towards the car, the sigh of his abdomen peeking through the bottom of his shirt as he wiped some sweat off his forehead, the way his Adam's apple boobed as he gulped down half his water bottle in the car…

She shuddered at the thought, feeling suddenly too warm, and took of her sweatpants, now only in a wide t-shirt and some boy shorts.

Closing her eyes, she forced herself to go to sleep, trying to think of unsexy things; bugs, her grandma, Maryse's night skincare routine and even the old creepy guy at the beach. After some time, she drifted off to sleep, but was awaken a few hours later by a strange sound by her window. Emma's eyes snapped opened, ready to scream and bring Roman to her rescue again, but her voice got stuck in her throat as she saw a dark figure emerging behind the window glass. It had gone dark outside, and her body froze as the stranger brought his hand up and knocked on the window three times, trying to get her attention.

"Emma, it's me, Pete," a gruff voice announced, and she felt herself relax all at once. Opening the window slowly, she finally saw him, sitting by the windowsill, one leg hanging off the wall.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Emma snapped, her voice angry but in a strong whisper, not wanting to alert anyone. He looked unfazed by her outburst, and instead smirked at her devilishly. She grabbed at his collar, pulling him inside the room without ceremony before he could protest, and closed the window behind him.

He opened him mouth to speak but she shushed him, instead listening through the quiet house, making sure no one had heard anything. After a minute, she felt satisfied that no one had noticed, and she faced her surprise visitor with a clenched jaw.

"My father will kill you if he sees you in my room," she told him, her voice just as sharp as it was before. Pete only seemed to find it amusing, however, and his eyes traveled down her body hungrily instead of speaking.

He and Emma had almost had a thing during their final school year, having gone on a few dates and had a few make out sessions here and there. Emma always cut it short, however, insisting that she didn't want a relationship at this point in her life. She planned to move for college had start fresh there. Plus, Pete didn't strike her as boyfriend material. He was more of a hook-up kind of guy, and that's not something she wanted either.

"I wanted to see ya," he admitted, his eyes still roaming her body. "I was bummed I couldn't make it today."

"You could have texted me," she argued, her voice growing stronger. "We could've planned something. You can't just barge into my room in the middle of the night!"

"Why not?" Pete laughed, taking a step towards her, his right hand catching the bottom of her shirt swiftly. "This is nice."

Emma's eyes went to his hold on her shirt and suddenly felt very aware of her state of undress. Pete had been aware all along, and seemed very pleased about it too, as he took another step forward, his other hand landing on her hip.

"Pete, I don't think-" he cut her off by pressing his lip to hers, his strong hands pulling her body against his. She was momentarily startled but decided to kiss back, having missed the contact of someone around her.

It didn't hurt that Pete was also an extremely good kisser, and she was reminded as he slipped his tongue into her mouth, his fingers grazing her thigh as he tried to slip past her shirt up her body. She pulled away instantly, slapping his hand away, and he chuckled breathlessly.

"So difficult," he laughed, kissing her again but keeping his hands by her hips this time. Almost imperceivably, he led her towards her bed, laying her down so they could resume their kissing as he hovered above her. Their kisses were growing hungrier, Pete's hand were getting busier, and Emma realized she had to bring this to a stop very soon before it got to far. She pulled away from him, silently urging him backward with her hands on his chest, and he watched her as he breathed heavily, his lips swollen from all the attention.

* * *

Not too far away, Roman was resuming his duties as night guard before being replaced by Ambrose in a few hours. The weather was calmer than the night before, but his thoughts were busy with images of Emma by the beach, hanging out with her friends, being happy.

It was one of the few times he saw her interact with other people, and the drastic change in her demeanor had left a strong impression on him. He didn't like that she wasn't this happy every day.

As he tried to focus on the night before him, he swore he heard some noise coming from Emma's hallway again, and he stood hesitantly as he walked towards that direction. He listened for anything out of the ordinary and heard nothing, but decided to hang around the area nonetheless. It was only a few minutes later that he heard some more, like the sound of something heavy falling in a thud. His mind wondered on what it could be, since Emma was too small to create such a sound by herself.

* * *

"Pete, come on, you have to go," Emma insisted as the Englishman had his lips on her necks, biting and kissing his way to her shoulder. His body was pressed against her and she could feel his erection through his pants, only signaling her that he seriously needed to stop.

"I thought you liked it when I did this," he spoke, leaving a few kisses by her collarbone. She did, in fact, enjoy this very much, but not enough to jeopardize his life or her freedom by keeping this going. She welcomed his attention, since it was the only thing that had kept her mind off Roman all day, but she knew she had to do this.

Roman. Now that her mind was on him, she couldn't stop. She couldn't stop imagining what it would be like to have him above her like this, begging for her attention. She felt her body heat up, a thousand times more than it ever did with the actual man in front of her, and couldn't help but moan as he grinded against her softly.

"I do, you know I do, that's not the point," she insisted, as Pete's face hovered above her once more, leaning forward to kiss her again. She obliged, letting him explore her mouth, her body responding suddenly as her mind flashed with thoughts of her Samoan bodyguard. Her sudden change in demeanor only egged Pete on, however, and before long his hand was under her shirt and she didn't stop him this time.

Pete growled as his hand touched her breast, and the first thought Emma had was that he was being far too loud.

And she was right.

Her door swung open without warning, Roman's large body entering her room in a flash, similarly to the night before. His eyes landed on them; Pete on her, his hand in her shirt, her face flushed and her hair messy, and his mouth fell.

Emma pushed Pete off her with force, and the young man landed on the floor on his back, startled. He stood angrily, his gaze focused on the intruder as he chest heaved,

"Who the bloody hell are ya?" he yelled, facing Roman with foolish determination. Roman's face went from shock to confusion, and finally to anger as he squared his shoulder and stared down at the younger man.

"Who the hell am _I_? Who the **fuck** are _you_?" he questioned back, his voice lower than she'd ever heard it. Pete seemed taken aback by the answer, trying to hold his ground even though he made it obvious that he was afraid of the other man.

"Pete! Just go, okay?" Emma interjected, suddenly feeling very worried for her friend, and not wanting to be responsible for anything that was building up to happen between the two of them.

Pete gaze went to her and he hesitated, clearly not wanting to seem like he was running away from Roman, but finally nodded when her eyes insisted. He made his way to the window reluctantly, staring down Roman the whole time.

"I'll call ya tomorrow," he told Emma whilst keeping his eyes on his rival, and he let himself fall downwards, disappearing in the night.

A long silence filled the room as Emma brought her bedsheet forward to cover herself, Roman's dark eyes still focused on where Pete had gone. Her mind was racing a hundred miles an hour as her heart pounded in her chest, having no idea on what to say to make this all go away. She just wanted to close her eyes and have this not have happened at all.

"You had no business coming in here," she finally said, and as the words left her mouth she knew she was being a hypocrite. Only the night before was she thankful for his presence, but tonight she wished with all her might that he would have stayed away.

"Are you serious?" he snapped, looking just as angry as he had talking to Pete. She was taken aback by his tone, feeling even smaller than she had. He'd never spoken to her that way. "I heard noises. I thought you were in danger. I was hired to protect you, for your information, so that's what I'm doing."

His tone was sharp and left no room for discussion, but as he spoke she felt anger rise inside her stomach like never before. He was talking down to her as though she was a child, and the hurt and the humiliation of the situation only tripled as she realized that.

"Protect me from what, huh?" she snapped. "Getting a boyfriend?"

She wasn't helping her case at all, answering him with this unattractive attitude as though she was a teenager all over again, but she couldn't help it. At one point she realized she wasn't upset about his barging in as much as she was about him not caring that she was with a guy, but she didn't care. He only wanted her to be safe because it was his job.

"Really? That guy?" Roman's feature danced between disappointment and disgust as he pointed at the window where Emma's friend had gone.

"Yeah, that guy," she challenged him, widening her shoulders in determination.

"Trust me, sweetheart, you can do a lot better," he said, and both of them froze as though neither of them were sure about what he'd just said.

Roman looked suddenly very uncomfortable, his eyes going to the floor instead of staring down at her like he had been doing so far. Emma hesitated, the warmth in her cheeks coming back slowly.

"Yeah? Like who?" she heard herself say, and Roman shifted awkwardly as he danced from one leg to the other.

He didn't answer, instead cleared his throat and passed a hand behind his neck, cursing himself for saying something to stupid and _weird._ He had no idea what had pushed him to say it, he just knew that he couldn't picture someone like Emma with a bum like that guy.

"Just… Next time, just don't bring your boyfriends around at night, a'right?" he finally said, and before she could say anything, he had walked out of her room and slammed the door behind him.

As her room settled into calmness once again, Emma face fell into her hands as she tried to take in the events of the night. She had no idea if she should feel upset with Roman for barging into her room and talking down to her, or apologize to him for snapping at him and being a little brat.

She felt confused as to how the hell no one in the house had heard all the commotion before she remembered her father and Maryse were out for dinner and the only other guard on the premise was Ambrose, who slept like a log. Of course it had to have been Roman that night, and not some other guard she didn't care about.

He probably hated her now. Emma's chest tightened at the house and she let herself fall backwards on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

She never should have opened the damn window.

* * *

 _Leave a review, kids!_


	3. Part 3

_Here's part 3 ! Thank you to everyone who reviewing and favourited/followed me or the story, it means a lot ! xx Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Protection - Part 3**

The sun was barely visible through the horizon when Emma's eyes fluttered open. She'd slept in stretches of a few hours, but never without waking up a few times with her head buzzing with thoughts. She kept having strange dreams, like one where her father had caught her playing chest with a younger version of herself and scolded her for not closing the door properly. None of it made any sense, and all the dreams would end with her alone in her bedroom with the door locked from the outside. Sometimes Roman made an appearance, but only to throw himself out of the window and collapse on the ground. When she went to check on him, he had suddenly transformed into Pete's very different shape and lay there, smiling up at her.

By this point she was more than fed up with it and opted instead to stay awake, waiting for the day to start. She had nothing planned particularly, as usual, which only convinced her further to stay inside of her room for as long as she could. It was almost embarrassing, really, to walk around the house with nothing to do, a stepmother she despised and dark figures lurking, trying to spot eventual danger. Her bedroom was her prison one day and her safe heaven the next.

It was almost noon when she finally risked a trip outside of her room, her stomach screaming for some food and coffee. She was met with a familiar guard in the kitchen, whom she never really spoke to much given her slight fear of him. He had been here for a while already, along with his friend who simply looked like a taller, older version of him, but neither of them made her feel particularly comfortable, so she stayed away. He gave her a small nod, standing close to the kitchen island looking through the glass windows to the backyard, as did many other guards on duty at this post. She answered him with an awkward wave and pondered through the refrigerator when a strong voice spoke behind her.

"Emma, sweetie, could I speak to you in my office?" her father asked from afar, leaning through the door to his said-office. Emma quickly nodded, abandoning her search and instead walking around the kitchen island and Anderson to get to further down the hall.

"What's up?" she spoke once she'd stepped into his office.

"Close the door."

"Uh, okay," she hesitantly agreed, doing so with a perplexed expression.

A heavy pause followed the action as her father debated his choice of words. Emma stood before him, dancing from one foot to the other, suddenly growing anxious. His face was stern, thick lines tracing his forehead as he looked her over. Finally, he cleared his throat, and spoke.

"What is this I hear about you sneaking boys into your room?"

A load the size of a mountain seemed to knock her right in the stomach as her father's words registered through her brain. Her lack of sleep and food rendered her dizzy, and for a minute she figured she might have hallucinated the whole thing.

"I'm sorry, what?" he voice sounded foreign as her father's stare only got harder, the older man obviously displeased with her decision to act like she didn't know what he was talking about.

"I was informed earlier this morning that you had a boy in your room last night," he only explained, and Emma saw red.

"You were _informed_?" she repeated, her voice sharp as she took a step forward. "You mean Reigns told you?"

"That's besides the point, young lady," her father insisted, his jaw clenching as he saw her approaching. "Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to invite strangers into our home?"

"Strangers!" Emma exclaimed, suddenly losing all patience and self-control as she kept focusing on the fact that Roman had blabbed on her. "Pete is my friend, you've met him!"

Here she was, feeling bad for being short with Roman, and meanwhile he was displaying all her secrets to her father. She felt betrayed, even more so knowing that Roman had only done what was asked of him. In the end, he'd kept his loyalty towards her father, and not to her.

"I got the impression he was being a little more than friendly," her father pressed on, his blue eyes full of disappointment. Emma breathed heavily, her anger growing more every second. Was she not old enough to decide who she was spending time with, and how?

"Even if he was, it's none of your business," she spat angrily, her nostrils flaring.

"Excuse me?" her father spoke, taken aback by the response. He rose from his sitting position, towering above her.

Father and daughter stared each other down, none wavering, tension filling the air.

"I get that you want to protect me; I get the situation you're in and the implications it has on me. But I am eighteen, and I am my own person," she told him, her voice quivering from pent up frustration, unused to speaking her mind.

"Clearly, you do not understand the implications if you would so carelessly let someone inside of our home," William replied. Emma felt her stomach clench as her eyes burned, emotion overwhelming her as she took in her father's words.

"I've never done anything wrong," she cried, her weeks filled with warm tears. Her throat constricting her words, but she hoarsely spoke them out anyway. " _Never_. I'm stuck here, all the time, and I never say a word. The least you could do is let me have someone over without treating me like a child!"

William's shoulders fell as his daughter display of emotion caught him off guard. He listened through her speech, mulling her arguments over, and looked down shamefully. He knew how difficult this all was on her, and his constant need to protect her had him forgetting that she was growing up.

"You're right," he agreed, looking up at her. "You are an adult now."

Surprise was evident on Emma's face at her father's words echoed through the wide room, her blood burning with the satisfaction of winning this small battle. She didn't have time to go on, however, because William was clearly not finished.

"You're old enough to see boys, I'll grant you that. But I don't want them sneaking around in my house," he went on. Emma sighed, knowing it had all sounded too good. "Which is why I want to meet this Pete fellow."

"What?"

Emma eyes went wide as she realized what she'd gotten herself into, her father taking her words and twisting them around towards meeting her friend.

"That's really not necessary," she argued, shaking her head. She had gone on about Pete being her possible boyfriend in front of Roman out of pure frustration, and had been somewhat intimate with the other boy from having her thoughts clouded with images of her body guard. Nothing about the situation made the meeting of her father and Pete pertinent.

"You deemed it necessary when you snuck him into my house," William replied, finally sitting back down triumphantly.

Emma still stood in front her him, her mouth agape, trying to hold her to her previous emotions as to not let the unpredictable turn of events push her out of the serious conversation she was trying to have. But it was no use, and after a moment of silence, she simply nodded.

"Fine."

She waited a few seconds more, and when her father didn't add anything, slowly made her way of them the room, more confused than she had been coming in. As soon as her father's office door was closed behind her, however, did she feel the rush of every word she yearned to say flood her mind, feeling foolish for agreeing so easily.

As she went back to the kitchen where Anderson still stood, all her emotions flooded back in, and she was suddenly furious with everyone. Her father, who had no concept of what being a young girl was like and thought he could rule her entire life; Roman, for betraying her trust and going behind her back; and herself, for being a wimp, unable to say what she truly felt.

In a fit of rage, she slammed her hand on the kitchen counter, letting out a rare curse as she caused Anderson to turn around in a flash, not expecting the outburst.

"Easy, girlie, don't hurt yourself," he said, half smiling. She only sent him a deathly glare before stomping away, half aware of where she was heading, just as Rollins was making his way over after hearing the commotion.

"What's up her butt?" he asked Anderson in a humorous tone, and the other man shrugged.

"Some guy, apparently," he mumbled, having only heard half of the conversation from his standing point as Mr. Regal was scolding his daughter. "She had him over last night. Roman caught them."

"Wait-what?" Rollins exclaimed, suddenly serious.

"I don't know man, just ask Reigns when he gets up."

With that, Anderson made his way out of the room, leaving Rollins with what seemed to be a perplexed yet very disturbed expression on his face.

* * *

Emma had only ever been here twice, yet she felt weirdly determined as she made her way through the dimly lit halls, heading for the guard's quarters. She had no idea what she was doing or what she was going to say, all she knew was that she had something to get off her chest and it simply had to come out.

On her second turn through the hallways, she was met with a few doors on either side of her, and wondered where she was going to find the large Samoan man. Yet, on her first try, the very first door to her right, she barged into his room, his sleeping form barely visible underneath a pile of pillow and blankets. The sound of the door opening had him jump awake, reaching for his night stand to grab his weapon as he stood on his feet before Emma could register a single thing.

Roman's eyes were unfocused as he held on to his gun, his bare chest heaving. Emma stood frozen, more disturbed by his near nakedness as she was about what was in his hand. As he realized who he was facing, Roman let the gun fall back on the nightstand, swallowing a lump in his throat as he mistook her look of pure shock as fear towards him.

She stuttered a few words, at a loss as to why she was here in the first place, raking her mind for the answers. She closed her eyes, the sight of him being too distracting to focus, and she was finally capable on remembering what had her running down there.

"What the hell is your problem?" she burst out, her voice loud and shaky.

" _My_ problem?" he replied, his expression confused. He waved around, silently pointing at the situation where she had been the one barging into his room.

"Yeah! _Your_ problem! You just had to tell him, huh? You had make it even worse, didn't you?" she pressed on, her voice even louder but getting clearer as she let her emotions out. Realization hit Roman in an instant, his feature softening as he understood the reasoning behind her outburst. His eyes left her face, trying to hide the shame of what he'd done.

"I had to tell him," he simply explained, still not looking at her.

"Why? Because you work for him? Because he's my dad and I'm just a helpless little girl? What?" Emma had only half an idea of what was coming out of her mind, but most of it was just words she had been hanging on to for years on end, years before Roman had even been in her life. She wasn't surprised about this situation at all, she'd had guards blab on her before, but it had never hurt like this. She'd never liked one of them the way she liked them, and she hadn't gotten close to any of them that same way either.

"Because I was looking out for you!" His eyes were back on her after he'd yelled the words out, his chest heaving as he pointed at her. "I'm trying to protect you."

"You're not protecting me, Roman, you're babying me!" Her voice was softer, a frown taking over her face. "I thought we were friends."

Emma swallowed down the tears threatening to surface through her eyes. She didn't want to let him think it was affection her this much. Roman stayed silent, only increasing her discomfort, regretting her decision to come here. She had obviously played this scenario in her head where they both enjoyed each other's company and were becoming closer by each day spent together.

Her first impression had been right; Roman was only there because he had to, not because he wanted to. She thought him as a friend, but he was just an employee.

"This was a mistake," she breathed out, her shoulders falling.

"What is?" he pondered, jaw clenched.

"Coming here. I thought we were friends," she repeated, her voice filled with sadness. "But I was wrong. I guess I'll just go back to having Rollins tagging along with me."

She hung her head down, once again saddened by her own lack of backbone. Roman, instead, took a step forward hesitantly, clearing his throat to get her attention. Her head snapped up, unable to control the slight blush to her cheeks as his naked chest stood so close to her.

"We _are_ friends."

He was only a feet away from her, his head titled lower to meet her gaze, a few strands of his loose hair falling in front of his eyes. Emma took a shaky breath, feeling relieved but uncertain. If they were friends, why had he gone to her father behind her back?

"And as you friend, I'm trying to help you," he explained, his voice low and calm.

"I'm a big girl, I can look out for myself," she argued, her voice quavering only slightly as he sighed and his breath hit her face softly.

"Well, clearly not if you're hanging around with a guy like that," he went on. His mind flashed with memories of Pete's body hovering above Emma's, his mouth pressing up against hers, and frustration grew evident of Roman's face.

"You don't even know him," she scoffed, shaking her head.

"I don't have to. I know the type, and guys like that are only after one thing," he spat, scowling at the thought.

"Yeah, what's that?"

Emma cocked her head to the side, watching Roman's discomfort grow as she laughed humourlessly. Even as a _friend_ , he was acting just like her father; insisting on treating her like she was only a child. She despised the feeling, and grew frustrated at Roman from bringing it out of her.

"No, please, let me in on all the details," she continued sarcastically. Roman shook his head, annoyed with her attitude.

"If you were such a big girl, you'd know what I'm talking about," he replied, only the hint of a smirk crossing his face. Emma felt herself grow angry again, absolutely disgusted that he would use her own words against her to put her on the spot.

"I don't need your approval, you know," she blurted out, unable to play along with him. Her face was red with the implications of their conversation they'd just had, and she tried her best to avoid it. She didn't need Roman knowing just how unexperienced she was with the whole thing, especially after thinking of him like she had just the night before.

"Which is exactly why I told your dad," he retorted, shrugging, obviously proud of himself. Emma's eyes burned with pure rage, her small hands contorted into fists on either side of her.

"You're a shit friend, just so you know," she hissed through gritted teeth, and Roman sighed, holding his hands up as though he was about to place them on her shoulders, but retracted himself at the last second. Instead he passed his hands through his loose hair, glancing at the floor before going back to her.

"I won't tell you what to do, because it's not my place. But if it _was_ , I'd tell you to stay away from that guy. I have some sort of sense about these things, and I get the feeling he's bad news," Roman said, his voice low and calm, pressing every word. She could tell by his eyes that he was being very serious, and she bit her tongue, holding back a few comments about how his sense of things weren't real facts. Instead she nodded, signaling that she understood what he was saying.

"I'll be careful," she assured him, and Roman didn't seem satisfied, but nodded as well. "That's the most I can do."

"Fine," he replied, his voice sharper, betraying his annoyance. "Don't come crying to me when you realize I'm right, though," he mumbled through his teeth, and Emma scoffed.

"Fine."

With that, she spun on her heels, no more or less frustrated than she had been on her way in. The ambivalence in his way of acting with her had her head spinning, no longer understanding his reasoning. All she knew was that she absolutely despised that everyone seemed to think they knew what was best for better than she did. Her only comfort lay in the fact she Roman did, in fact, consider them friends, no matter how wrongly he was choosing to act on it. Her heart fluttered at the thought that he had acted out of care for her and not only in loyalty to her father, and she shook the thoughts out of her head as she made her way back to the main house.

Being friends didn't mean that he had feelings for her, not the way she felt for him. And in this case, maybe they were better off not being friends at all.

* * *

It's with that thought in mind that Emma spent the next two weeks avoiding Roman at all cost. To be fair, she was also still slightly upset at him altogether, but she was mostly acting in prevention of future hurt feelings. Fear kept her at bay, and Roman's respect for her wishes kept him away, too.

In order to spend as little time as possible with him, she had decided to take Rollins with her on her outings, and when he wasn't available, she took Ambrose. She had been worried at first but had soon warmed up to the peculiar man, knowing now that his tough demeanor was more due to shyness rather than rudeness. He was quiet and kept to himself, but after three days of having him as her chauffeur to the library and the beach, he'd started talking more, and she grew to like him. He was straight to the point in his comments, but always up for a joke and his rare smiles were enough to make any outing a lot better.

Regardless of all that, however, she missed Roman, and took every opportunity to learn more about him even if it meant hearing it from other people. Whenever Rollins of Ambrose mentioned him, she would press them towards going into more detail, and was always disappointed when the conversation stopped being about him.

"That's the worst joke I've ever heard," Emma laughed from the backseat as Dean drove them back from the library. They had spent a good two hours there and were slowly on their way back.

"That's what I said!" Dean agreed, laughing along. "Five years though, and Roman still thinks it's the most hilarious thing in the world."

Emma's ears perked up at the mention of Roman, and she tried to seem disinterested as she spoke, trying not to draw attention to her curiosity.

"You've known Roman for five years?" she inquired, looking through the window in an attempt to seem nonchalant.

"Seven, actually," Dean corrected, glancing at her through the rear-view mirror before settling his eyes on the road once more. Emma immediately noticed the seriousness in his face and how his shoulders seemed stiffer from where she was sitting. Was she being that obvious? Did Dean not want to encourage her obsessive curiosity?

"Where'd you guys meet?" she kept on asking, unable to stop herself. Dean seemed to get even more uncomfortable, his knuckles going white as he held onto the steering wheel tightly. He cleared his throat, fidgeting in his seat. "It's okay if you don't want to tell me."

She felt suddenly guilty for pressing her questions noticing how Dean was reacting. He met her kind eyes once again and relaxed slightly, taking a deep breath.

"It's not that. I just… I don't want to freak you out or anything," he mumbled, shrugging uncomfortably. Emma frowned, confusion crossing her features as she failed in understanding what he meant.

"Freak me out about what?" she wondered in a small voice.

"I thought Rollins would have told you."

Emma shook her head to signal that Seth had not, in fact, told her about whatever Dean was going on about. She grew anxious as she waited to see of he would finally say it, feeling even more curious now than she had asking the question in the first place.

"Told me what?" she asked him finally after a few more seconds, afraid that he would stop talking altogether. Dean swallowed deeply and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel before he spoke.

"Reigns and I met in the big house, ya know?" he finally admitted, the tapping on the wheel growing louder.

"You mean prison?"

Dean nodded, averting her gaze as he focused on driving, leaving Emma to deal with this new disturbing information. She felt utterly shocked, having not expected this answer at all. To anyone else, this wouldn't have been surprising. Her father hired thugs, after all, people to do his bidding in a wide illegal business, yet never did she expect either of her favourite guards to have been imprisoned. They were both rather large men, with tempers and demeanors which might have hinted in that direction, but also so very kind and understanding. She'd somehow had this idea that inmates were to be stereotypical caricatures of bad guys, rotten on every front. Clearly, it was not the case.

"You freaked out?" he asked her after a few minutes, seeing as her face had not yet changed from her initial shock.

"No," she assured him, trying to relax her features. She wasn't freaked out, really, but more in complete disbelief.

And slowly coming to the realization that it didn't change anything at all. They were both still people she liked, and with her knowledge of this or not, they were still the same people, who she cared for.

"Good," Dean breathed out, relieved. He gave her a meek smile through the mirror and Emma returned it, suddenly feeling privileged that he had been willing to share this information with her and didn't seem to regret it.

They went back to a lighter subject, even though Emma burned with desire to ask why they had been inside in the first place. She didn't, though, knowing that if ever he wanted to tell her, he would. In the mean time, she felt closer to him, and that was enough.

* * *

That same night came the dreaded dinner her father had set up to meet Pete. In those two weeks, they had gone out a few times, but no other make out session like the one in her room had occurred. He was still just her friend from high school who she liked and kissed occasionally. Pete, on his hand, had been very fervent in trying to make it go further, but Emma had always found a reason to cut the date short. Tonight, however, she was stuck with him and her father at her own home for however long it took before her father decided to end the whole thing.

Safe to say, she would have preferred a slow painful death to having any part of this. Instead, she got both: the dinner itself was a slow and painful torture as Pete acted like him and her were the couple of the hour whilst her father mentioned far too many times how _safety is key._ She'd spit out half of her drink when he'd said it the first time, and Pete had blushed next to her, but not without brushing his hand on her thigh under the table suggestively.

When William finally announced that he was heading off to bed, Maryse's hand in his as they made their way upstairs, it was almost midnight, and Emma was exhausted. The dinner itself had been a drag, but not as draining as the constant nagging in the back of her head about how Roman had been right about this.

The more time she spent with Pete, the more she realized he was, in fact, only focused on getting inside of her pants. His conversations were always laced with innuendos and flirting, and never once did they hang out together without him trying to convince her to find a dark corner and get frisky. She was growing tired of it, and now that her promise of having him and her father meet was settled, she knew it was just about over.

Pete proposed that they have a walk around the property before he had to leave so they could spend some alone time together, and even though she wasn't particularly fond of the idea, she agreed. Letting him down easy in a nice late-night walk definitely wasn't the worst way to break up with someone. He led her towards their small garden, hidden from most of the backyard with a few bushes and trees as he sat her down on a stone bench, his fingers dancing on her thigh.

"Pete, I need to talk to you," Emma told him as he was leaning over, about to brush his lips against hers. He interrupted his actions to look at her and listen, all the while smirking at her knowingly.

"What's up?"

"Err, listen, you are … great! I mean, I like you a lot," she babbled, very aware that she apparently had no idea how to do this at all. Pete was her friend, and she was hoping to salvage that relationship while breaking up this one. Unfortunately for her, she had no idea how to go about that. "Spending time with you is a lot of fun."

"I like ya too, love," Pete purred, leaning forward to place a few kisses on her neck. Emma mentally kicked herself as she realized she probably sounded like she was trying to move forward with him rather than the opposite, and he was taking it as a sign to make a move. "I want ya so fuckin' much," he breathed in her ear, biting down on her lobe as his hands grabbed her by the hips and pulled her towards him.

"Pete, listen, I'm trying to say something," she insisted, trying to push him off her, but his grip on her hips was stronger than she anticipated.

"We've talked enough," he growled, teeth now biting down her neck, and Emma let out a small yelp as the last one was a lot more forceful. She could tell she would have a bruise in the morning, and didn't appreciate that he was ignoring her obvious discomfort.

Her palms pressed harder on his chest as she attempted to push him off once more, which only encouraged him into holding her even tighter. One of his hands was now making its way under her skirt, trying to push her thighs apart to reach her center.

"Pete, stop it," she ordered him, pressing her thighs together to keep him from going further. He ignored her, however, and kept pushing harder, his rough fingers digging into her skin and leaving marks.

"Come on, Emma, ya know you want to," he said, his face meeting hers before his other hand reached to back of her head and forced her face in his in a rough kiss. Emma resisted, biting down on his bottom lip harshly to get him away. Instead he laughed, licking the blood off his lip as his eyes got darker. "Feisty," he laughed, latching on to her wrist as he pulled her forward, taking advantage of her surprise to place himself between her legs, now standing up from the bench to look down at her.

"You're hurting me, stop it!" she pleaded him, louder this time, fear growing rapidly through her. They were far enough away from the house that no one would be able to see them from a window, and she felt suddenly very alone.

Alone with Pete, who she thought she could trust until now. To the contrary, he kept ignoring her protest and was now reaching for her shirt to try and take it off her, all the while kissing and biting her neck and holding her down by her hips and wrist.

"Get off me!" she yelled, trying with all her might to push him off, but to no avail. He was much stronger than she was, and she had no hope of getting him to stop like this.

As she was debating an alternative, Pete was suddenly yanked off her in a flash, and Emma fell to the floor as she tried to decipher what was happening through the obscurity. The scene was made quite clear to her in an instant, however, as she recognized the tall shape of Roman as he stood over Pete. The ladder lay on the floor, looking up at the other man with a mix of fear and anger, obviously surprised at having been interrupted by the same person once again.

Emma's eyes widened as she looked Roman over: he was terrifying. His eyes were bloodshot red and wide open, his mouth in a thin line, his jaw stiff as he breathed heavily through his nose. His hands lay in fists on either side of him, shaking slightly, as his chest heaved and a vein threatened to pop out of his neck from how tense he was.

"I'll kill you."

His voice sounded nothing like she had heard before: it was like someone else had spoken. Roman's voice was usually soft and warm, but now it was cold and lower than ever, laced with venom and truth. She knew he meant it the second he said it, she saw it in his face: he was a few seconds away from actually killing him.

"I swear to god; I will _kill_ you."

Emma felt bile rising in her throat as she sat motionless on the floor, unable to move, unable to speak as she witnessed the situation. A part of her did want Pete to hurt, she wanted Roman to send him right to hell for what he was about to do, but she couldn't let it happen. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she did.

For a moment, no one moved until Pete slowly made his way to his feet, taking his time as to not send Roman flying off at him again. Once he was up, and Roman stared him down, looking like a ticking time bomb about ready to explode, he smirked.

And then Emma knew it was over.

"Don't worry, big guy, I was gonna let ya have her once I was done."

The bomb exploded, Roman lounging at Pete without a second thought, his fist hitting him square in the jaw. Pete fell back and retaliated, and for a few seconds it looked like he could hold his own as punches were exchanged, but very quickly Roman took over.

Before long Pete was back on the ground, Roman towering over him, hit after hit making contact the younger man's now blood stained face. Maybe it was the sound of Roman's fist hitting Pete's jaw, or the growls Roman was letting out as he kept punching, or the not so sudden but so very overwhelming realization that she was about to witness Roman murder someone, but she finally got up and made her way over, finding her voice at all.

"Stop it! Stop it, please, Roman, stop it!" she screamed, the volume of her voice scratching her throat as she felt hot tears falling down her face.

She was shaking from head to toe, every scream louder than the one before, feeling like she wasn't being heard. Roman kept hitting as though he was in a trance, like he had finally snapped and couldn't be stopped.

"I'm begging you, please stop it! You're killing him!" she cried, still unheard.

After what seemed like forever, however, she heard footsteps approaching and saw three figures making their way over at a run. They had obviously heard her yelling even if Roman hadn't, and she watched in relief as Seth circled Roman's waist with his strong arms, pulling him off Pete's bloody form.

"Roman, get your shit together, stop it!" he yelled through gritted teeth, putting everything he had into holding on to Roman. He wasn't strong enough to compete with his anger, however, and soon Ambrose had to join in and push himself between Roman's chest and the other man. Together they held on to Roman as he attempted to go past them and reach his victim once more. Emma realized in horror that not only were his knuckles torn and bloody, but his face was covered in droplets of blood that were very obviously not his own. And for the first time, she really was afraid of him.

"Reigns, settle down!" the third person ordered him, her father have heard the commotion as well.

"What the fuck is going on?!" added Ambrose, staring between Roman and Pete, still standing between them, his hands rested Roman's chest. Seth also still held on to the bigger man's waist in fear of him going after Pete again. Roman seemed too out of it to explain anything, however, and Emma was forced to speak up.

"He came to help me," she told them, her voice hoarse from screaming and crying. Their heads all snapped in her direction, all expect for Roman who was still staring down at the other bloodied man, and she felt very small under their gaze. They all seemed to only realize now that she had been there this whole time. "He… he just wanted to help me."

Her father walked over, pulling her into a comforting hug as he soothed her crying. She, herself, did not have it in her to explain much, but the situation was made clearer when her father leaned back after their embrace and looked over the bruises on her neck and wrists. His face darkened, and he turned his head towards his men without letting go of his daughter.

"Ambrose. Get Gallows, tell him to meet me in my office in ten."

Dean nodded, taking a second to make sure Seth was still holding on to Roman that he could step away, disappearing through the dark night. Her father turned back to her, wiping tears away from her face with his thumb.

"You go inside, get some rest. I need to take care of this, I'll be with you later, alright?" he told her, and Emma nodded, sniffing. Her father kissed her forehead briefly before also leaving the area, leaving her with Roman, Seth, and Pete's inanimate form.

Every look in Pete's direction made her want to throw up, so instead she focused on the two other men in front of her, one of which was still in fighting stance, his stare deadly. Meanwhile, Seth was trying to calm him down.

"Brother, you need to relax, it's over," he said, talking softly through Roman's ear. "I don't blame you, I would have done the same fucking thing. Hell, it's taking me everything not to do it anyway, but it's over. Emma is fine. She's right here, and she's fine."

It took a few more minutes of convincing, but finally Roman's body got more and more relaxed, and Seth let him go hesitantly. The taller man slowly came to his senses, his stare finally leaving Pete's body to look around, seemingly surprised about where he was. His features were no longer menacing, but full of fear. Fear of what he'd done and who had witnessed it. His eyes met hers and she swore she saw a single tear fall down the side of his face.

"I'm sorry."

He looked like he was about ready to fall over as the words left his mouth, and all she wanted to do was run over to him and hold him up. She never had time, however, since he suddenly turned around and walked off, his steps heavy and his shoulders slumped. They watched him walk away without another word, the silent night heavier from his absence. At a loss, Emma felt as though her legs would give out, too, before Seth was walking over to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, his eyes full of worry. Instead of answering, however, she let herself fall forward and he caught her, bringing her to his chest as heavy sobs broke through her. After years of spending time together, never had she hugged Seth, always feeling like it was a line none of them were willing to cross. Tonight, though, she felt grateful for his strong embrace as he let her cry into him, his hands caressing her back softly in comfort.

"You're okay, Emma. You're fine," he soothed her, her crying never wavering. "We're here for you. Always."

* * *

 _Hope you liked it! If you did, leave a review ;)_


	4. Part 4

_Hello! Here's part 4, sorry for the delay, i've been trying to survive school ! Thank you to everyone commenting on the story and who favourited and liked it, means a lot to me ! Enjoy ;)_

* * *

 **Protection - Part 4**

Emma sat on the edge of her bed, her hands folded across her lap, her face full of tears. Her father had told her to go inside and get some rest, and for the last fifteen minutes she had tried, but her eyes would not close. After Seth had walked her to her room and went to help out with the other guys, Emma's head had been filled with flashes of what she had just witnessed. Pete over her, holding her wrists, his face twisted in a terrifying smirk. Roman, towering above Pete, his knuckles bloody, his eyes vacant, like he wasn't even himself.

Her incapacity to relax also lay in the fact that she had no idea what was going on outside of her bedroom walls. She didn't even know if Pete was still alive. When he lay there, motionless, his face unrecognizable, it was impossible to tell in which state he was in. Dead or alive, what were they doing with him? If he was dead, would they get rid of the body? If he wasn't, would they finish the job? What did that mean for her? For Roman?

The overwhelming amount of questions running through her head had her ears buzzing, no matter how tired she was. She could not sleep for the life of her, too busy worrying.

Most of all she worried for Roman. Where had he gone? Was he with the others? Did he leave? He had seemed so broken when he walked away, so defeated and disappointed with himself. Emma couldn't imagine what might have been going through his head, and her heart swelled at the thought of him thinking that she was now afraid of him. In truth, she had been, for a brief moment, but only because he hadn't been himself.

She could never be afraid of the Roman she knew he was, the one who rescued her, the one who cared for her.

Tired of waiting for answers she knew would never come, Emma decided to take matters into her own hands and check things out for herself. As soon as she made it out of her room, however, did her legs seem to instinctively take her where she knew she wanted to go all along: to see Roman. She made her way to the guard's quarters without really realizing it, and as she stepped closer to his room, her heart pounded harder through her chest.

She had no idea what state he would be in, or if he was even there in the first place, but she had to try. She knew, deep down, that she would never be able to rest without knowing how he was.

As soon as she reached his door, she could hear muffled sounds behind the wooden frame, which made it clear that there was in fact someone in there. Emma felt relieved, her worries appeased only so slightly knowing that Roman wasn't out somewhere in trouble, but instead safely barricaded in his room, similarly to what she would do on countless occasions.

Her knocks were soft on the door and she waited a solid minute, getting no response. Whatever raucous Roman was making on his side rendered him unable to hear her, and Emma wondered if this was a sign telling her to turn around and walk away. Ignoring her hesitation, she knocked once more, waiting for a few seconds before calling his name in a breaking voice.

"R-Roman?"

All noise suddenly ceased on the other side of the door, yet it still remained closed, Roman making no attempt to answer. Going against the little voice inside of her telling her to leave it alone, Emma ever so lightly opened the door, stepping one foot through the frame. She felt weirdly drawn with need to see him, to know that he was there and he was okay.

Standing in the middle of the dimly lit room, Roman had his eyes glued to her the second she came in. A small gasp escaped her lips at the sight of him, his dark pupils sending shivers across her skin. She took in the sight of his room, his sheets on the floor, his bedside table fallen on its flank, various objects carelessly thrown all around. His room had taken most of the hit of his anger, Emma realized.

His stare was similar to the one he held earlier, when he was entranced in his rage, rather than his usual softness. Neither of them said anything for a little while, and eventually, just as suddenly as she'd walked in, Emma was gone. Roman heard her footsteps die down at the end of the hall, and he let himself fall on the bed. Bringing his hands to his face, his elbows resting on his knees, he could barely hold back the emotionally charged sigh that escaped his lips, even more devastated than he had been.

Emma had come to check on him, and she'd _ran_. If he didn't feel like a monster before, he certainly did now. The last thing he wanted was to be considered a threat, when all he'd wanted was to help. He should have known better, he thought, than to let every come out all at once. He'd known the second the first punched had connected to Pete's face that he wouldn't be able to stop. He should have known better than to start.

But how could he not? The guy had put his hands all over Emma, on his watch. He was supposed to protect her, and he'd failed her completely. No wonder she couldn't bare to stand in the same room as him, he was a pitiful excuse for a guard-

"Hey."

She was back. Roman's head shot up as he watched Emma make her way inside of his room again, holding was seemed to be a first aid kit. His eyes went wide with surprise as she leaned over, kneeling in front of him and unzipping the bag she was carrying silently. Roman felt at a loss and she took out bandages and disinfecting gauze, barely able to comprehend what was happening.

Not only was Emma there, but she was helping him. Caring for him. Roman felt suddenly very overwhelmed, clearing his throat as to snap himself out of it.

"You don't have to do that," his voice broke off, his shaky breath connecting with her forehead.

"Of course I do," she blatantly responded, like it was obvious. "You… It's the least I can do."

Roman said nothing back, watching her as her slim fingers grazed his hands, considering the damage. The contact of her soft skin with his rugged one has his breath quicken, feeling incredibly vulnerable. She was three times smaller than he was, as emotionally confused as he was, yet he felt completely safe under he calming touch. Before he could really register what had happened, his hands were all patched up, tight bandages encircling his knuckles. He hadn't even twitched when she'd disinfected his wounds, or when she'd dabbed the dried blood away.

He was too busy staring at her focused eyes as she worked, thankful for the attention but unable to put it into words.

"You really didn't have to do that," he repeated as she stood, putting the leftover bandages away and zipping the bag back up. "I could've-"

"Roman," she cut him off, holding a hand up to silence him. "Please, just let me help you," she insisted, her voice barely above a whisper. "You… You saved me tonight. If you hadn't been there, I-I don't know what would have happened."

Emma stopped, her throat closing on her words. She knew if she said one thing more, she would fall into a sobbing mess. As though he noticed, Roman stood, taking a step forward in her direction.

"Thank you."

Emma let out a humourless laugh, her lips quivering as she shook her head. How the hell had she made him _thank her_ after he'd been the one to come to her defense?

"Don't thank me, please. You were right. I should've listened to you," she admitted, whipping a few stray tears away.

Roman let out a shaky breath, passing a hand in front of his face. "I didn't want to be right."

Emma gave him a sad smile, relieved that he wasn't gloating. Somehow, part of her expected him to sing _I told you so_ , especially after being so clear that she shouldn't come crying to him when it all went to hell. She'd taken the decision to face whatever he would say in order to acknowledge that he was right, and she felt foolish for fearing he would be rude about it. Roman wasn't like that.

"I'm sorry."

Her voice cracked as she said it, swallowing back tears as she apologized. Her actions had been careless, and she felt solely responsible for everything that had gone down. She felt responsible for her family having to deal with Pete, about the security guards having to come to her rescue, about Roman snapping completely and nearly killing someone over her. Had she listened to him, this would have never happened, and Roman wouldn't be thanking her for merely patching him up.

"I'm so sorry, Roman," she cried again, the weight of her actions pressing down on her shoulders. She was shamelessly sobbing by now, barely able to hold Roman's gaze.

"You didn't do anything wrong," he told her, his eyes looking for hers sternly.

"Yes, I did, this is all my fault," she insisted, feeling more and more ashamed as she spoke.

"Emma, look at me," he ordered her, and when she didn't listen her grabbed her face and pulled it up so their eyes could meet. She sniffed a few times, her eyes widening at the sight of his face, so close to hers. "Listen to me. This isn't your fault. It's _his_ fault. It's _my_ fault. Not yours."

"But I-"

"No. I should've… I should've made you leave before I- before it happened. You shouldn't have had to see that, I'm sorry," he babbled, his hands still firmly holding her face towards his. "I should've gotten there sooner; I should've been there the whole time-"

"Stop, stop, stop," Emma shushed him, softly letting her own hands rest above his. "You were there, that's all that matters. And I'm really, _really_ thankful that you were."

Silence filled the air as they finally stopped apologizing to each other, letting their eyes speak for them as they connected through a long stare. They were so very close to each other, Roman's breath prickling her eyelashes, Emma's tiny framed nearly molded onto his.

As fate would have it, however, just as Roman's face seem to lean lower towards hers, heavy steps were heard through the halls. They barely had time to step away from each other before Ambrose appeared in the doorway, merely surprised at seeing them so close to each other in the darkness.

"Somehow I had a feelin' I'd find you here," he mused, speaking to Emma. The young girl opened her mouth to protest, her cheeks flushed at the implication, even more so knowing it might ring true. "Your father's looking for you. He was kind'a freaked out when he realized you weren't in your room."

"Oh, right," Emma replied, bolting towards Ambrose as though she'd be shocked. "I just-" she went to explain, passing by Dean on her way out.

"You don't gott'a explain yourself t'me," Ambrose cut in, holding his hands up. "Just the messenger."

Emma nodded, cutting the conversation short as she realized he was right. She didn't really have to explain herself to anyone at this point, expect for her father. Dean motioned for the hallway, silently urging her forward, but Emma hesitated, her stare going from him to Roman's frame. He stood exactly where she'd left him, seeming just as taken aback as she was.

In a flash she was back inside the room, her steps full of determination as she reached him and pulled him into a crushing hug. Her small arms circled his waist without giving him time to react, her head resting on his chest as she took a deep breath, taking in his scent, the moment, the meaning. Roman's eyes threatened to bulge out of their sockets as he stared down at her, ignoring Ambrose's look of surprise, too focused on his own.

It only took him a few seconds before his arms pulled her closer, his cheek resting by her temple as he embraced the feeling of her body against his. He'd wondered for a while now what it felt like, and he was not disappointed. He felt important and needed, big and powerful, yet safe.

He reluctantly let her go once she pulled away, her cheeks redder than he'd ever seen them. She cleared her throat, her eyes fixated on his chest instead of his face, and passed a nervous hand on her warm face.

"Thank you," she repeated, looking into his eyes only long enough to make sure he'd heard her, before she was spinning on her heel and walking away.

Both men watched her leave with similar looks of confusion, Roman trying his best not to betray the overwhelming emotions crawling through his chest. They shared a nod before Ambrose followed the young woman, leaving Roman alone once more, with the lingering feeling of Emma's warmth on his skin.

* * *

' _Did you hear about Pete?'_

' _He's in the hospital, Em!'_

' _They don't know when he'll wake up.'_

The next morning, Emma had a good amount of text messages chiming on her phone, most of which from her good friend Alexa. It had been no secret to her that Emma and Pete were to hang out the night before, so it made sense that she'd be the first one who was asked about it. She had forced herself to answer back that Pete had left her house perfectly fine, and she had no idea what happened after that.

Emma didn't have to ask more than once for her father to close the television that morning as news of a young boy found on the side of the road, beaten half to death, were circulating on every media platform. As the announcer spoke gravely of it on the morning news, Emma felt bile rise through her throat and decided she could go without breakfast.

Pete was still alive, yes, but in a poor state. She felt relieved at the news, but worried at the implications. Her father had been quick to reassure her, however, as soon as she spoke those concerns.

"He won't talk," he announced in between two sips of coffee, without adding anything more. Emma had concluded that she didn't wish to ask what that meant, knowing full well she wouldn't enjoy the answer. Did they have someone on watch to get to him the second he got up? Would they threaten him into silence?

Emma decided to simply figure that Pete wouldn't talk because it meant admitting what he'd done. That was, sadly, the better alternative.

* * *

Two days passed in a flash, the texts dying down and the news getting old. Emma hadn't left the house once, partly because she didn't want to but also knowing her father wouldn't let her. Roman had been given a few days off, and she spent of her time wondering how he was.

She hoped his wounds were healing well, and that he was getting the rest he needed, but most of all she wondered if he thought about their almost-kiss.

It had almost happened, in his room, right before they were interrupted, and not a moment passed without Emma wondering what would have happened had Ambrose not walked in.

Would they have stopped on their own? Would they have met in the middle, lips connecting, feelings spilling out?

Most of all, she worried she was making it all up in her head. Maybe she'd imagined Roman leaning in, maybe he did lean in but wanted to kiss her forehead, in a brotherly way? Maybe he _was_ going to kiss her, but was glad they didn't.

She couldn't possibly ask him, yet as she longed for his return, she realized part of her was curious to see how it would be between them when he did. Then she would have her answer, she thought. She would know.

Seth had been a great support through those few days, and Dean's presence was always a calming occurrence, and she felt thankful that Roman wasn't the only guard she felt comfortable with. After her incident, her encounters with the others were all the more difficult. If she felt queasy before, she certainly felt even worse now, especially the ones she knew were involved in whatever had occurred in the aftermath of her attack, like Gallows and Anderson. Their presence sent unpleasant shivers through her limbs, and she tried her best to get out of their way.

Emma was fully aware that she was constantly surrounded by big, imposing men who were hired to use said threatening statures to their advantage, yet now more than ever did she feel quite the opposite: small, frail, lacking any concept of basic self-defence.

That was made particularly clear a week after the incident as she was forced to take Gallows with her to a coffee shop in order to meet Alexa and chat. They hadn't spoken that much since the whole Pete incident, Emma being evasive and distant, Alexa being too curious and overbearing. She somehow got the idea that Pete and her were dating, and that she should be dealing with this a lot differently than she was, so Emma had found it necessary to stop those allegations altogether.

Gallows parked the car a block away, not having found parking close by, and followed Emma closely as they walked towards the coffee shop. He stood merely a few feet behind her, yet it was enough to make her feel caged in.

It all happened in less than second, yet as she thought back to it, it was painfully slow. A car, flying down the road as Emma neared the intersection. Gallows, grabbing onto her arm forcefully, pulling her backwards into him to keep her from getting squished by the speeding vehicle. Gallows' hand squeezing her forearm, Emma's heartrate quickening, the panic setting in as she thought back to having her wrist crushed in someone else's grip.

"Get off! Don't touch me, get your hands off me, I mean it!" her voice quivered as she pushed him away, Gallows letting her go instantly. He seemed taken aback by her outburst, holding his hands up in surrender to signal he wasn't trying to get inside her space.

Emma breathed heavily as she looked around, waving passing bystanders off to let them know she was fine. She didn't realize how loud she'd been until she saw the look of worry on everyone else's face, their stares going between her and the large man who just a second ago had his hand around her arm.

"I didn't mean to startle you, ma'am," Gallows insisted, taking a step away from her. "Just tryin' to help."

"I know- I _know_. I'm sorry, I just…" Emma's voice got lost as she closed her eyes momentarily, feeling foolish at her reaction. Gallows was, in fact, simply trying to keep her from getting hit by a car as she carelessly crossed a busy road. "Thanks."

Gallows nodded, staying where he was as he waited for her to start walking again. For the rest of day until they got back to the villa, he stayed a few feet away from her, making sure he wasn't crowding her. Emma was thankful for it, if not slightly confused at her own reaction.

The incident had affected her more than she cared to admit, and as she flinched every time someone got too close, she realized it needed fixing.

* * *

"Ambrose, can I ask you something?"

Dean let out a long hiss as he descended the heavy weight he had been lifting, taking a few breaths before he turned to her.

"Ya often sneak up on people like that, boss lady?" he questioned, resting his hands on his hips dramatically as he puffed out some air.

"Sometimes," Emma sang, a small smile curving on her lips. She took a few steps inside their home gym, left available for the guards if ever it wasn't occupied by her father or Maryse. Emma was basically the only person in the house to not particularly care for a workout. "Did I startle you?" she teased, leaning against a large machine.

"Course not," Dean scoffed, taking a second to dab some sweat of his forehead with his t-shirt. The action put his abdomen on full display, and Emma looked away uncomfortably. "You know I'm not on duty right now, though, right?"

Emma rolled her eyes, feeling confident to look back at him now that he was done showing off his body. "Alright, then, I'll ask someone else," she mused, kicking herself off the machine to make her way towards the door ever so slowly.

"I'm kidding!" Dean laughed, getting her to stop on her tracks and turn back. "What can I do ya for, boss lady?" Emma's smile grew wider, amused at how easy to had been to get him to listen.

"For one, you can stop calling me that," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Aw, come on, it's a good name; _boss lady_."

"Ambrose-" she sighed, an amused smirk still playing on her lips.

"Dean," he corrected, pointing a finger at her.

"I'll call you 'Dean' if you call me 'Emma'," she insisted, and Dean faked a look of shock as he brought a hand to his chest. Emma chuckled, raising an eyebrow in response, and the man finally nodded.

"That's fair," he agreed. "So, what did you want from me, boss- Emma." The young girl gave him a pointed look and Dean's grin grew wider.

"It's kind of embarrassing, so please don't make fun of me," she started, her voice small. "I need help and I don't know who to ask."

Dean's face grew serious at her tone, listening intently, knowing it was obviously something important to her. "Don't worry, I ain't a jerk," he assured her, nodding to encourage her to continue.

"Right, well, still… I need to learn how to defend myself," she announced finally, looking down at the floor. "I'm freaked out, a little, because… well, you know why." Dean grunted in response, and Emma could sense the irritation oozing off him. "And I thought maybe you could help me out."

"Me?" he breathed, surprise evident in his tone and on his face.

"You or Rollins or… you know, one of you guys," Emma shrugged, meeting his eyes. Dean's lips twisted into a smile as he nodded, and she couldn't tell if it was maybe her demand was completely ridiculous or if he felt somehow happy that she'd asked him. Either way, the young girl danced from one feet to the other, impatiently waiting for his response.

"I think that's a good idea," he finally agreed, and Emma let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Really?" Emma squealed, her excitement taking over as she smiled, and Dean's loud chuckle only emphasized her relief.

"I mean, yeah, of course we can do that," he insisted, shrugging. "But uh, maybe you should ask your Dad first," he proposed, and Emma's face fell.

"Oh."

"Just to make sure it's okay!" he interjected. "Just so, you know, he doesn't kill us or anything."

Emma reluctantly agreed, knowing full well that it was the right thing to do considering the circumstances. She had Dean promise he would deliver his end of the agreement if she did hers, and he was more than happy to comply.

Feeling lighter, Emma made her way towards her father's office, an uncharacteristic bounce in her step.

* * *

Once her father agreed, which only took about 45 minutes and a few tears, Emma was ecstatic to deliver the good news to Ambrose, and though he seemed surprised, he agreed that they could start her training as early as the next day.

Dressed in what she assumed were appropriate clothes for the occasion – a workout bra covered by a loose shirt and some sports leggings – she made her way to the gym that morning feeling ready to tackle anything. She was more than determined to get the fear kicked out of her, even if it meant also getting hit in the face by a quirky ex-con.

She was a few minutes early, so she decided to stretch out a little before Ambrose arrived. Placing her legs a few inches apart to stand approximately at shoulder-width, Emma leaned forward, trying to place her palms flat on the floor and stretch out her thighs and back, feeling her muscles give into her position. She let out a deep breath, letting her head fall in between her legs, her stare landing right the entrance of the gym, where someone stood.

The man cleared his throat, and Emma's body jerked up, turning herself around once her head was back above her shoulders. The quick movement had her feeling dizzy, her blood rushing down her body as she'd obviously stood too fast, breathing heavily already.

"Roman," she breathed, her eyes having a hard time focusing on his frame.

"Hey," he spoke, waving at her awkwardly, a small blush creeping on his face. Emma held back a whimper as she realized her first encounter with him in a week was a full view of her ass, followed by an uncomfortable stare-down as she once again forgot how to speak words.

"What- who- you're back," she rambled, letting her hand rest on a nearby machine casually, trying to not hide the fact that she was holding herself up to not fall over until the blood rushed back to her head.

"Yeah, I figured it was time," he nodded, taking a few steps in her direction. "And Ambrose said you needed some help with training?" he went on, confusion evident on his face.

"Oh, did he?" Emma laughed humourlessly, making a silent promise to herself to have a talk with Dean as soon as she could. "Well, yes, I want to learn how to defend myself," she explained, her eyes slowly focusing on his handsome features. "I want to be able to rely on me, sometimes."

"I get that," Roman nodded, staring intensely at her. Emma's breath caught in her throat as he approached her once more, standing only a few feet away. He wore a tight t-shirt with loose shorts, evidently already dressed for the occasion, and she suddenly realized he really wasn't only there for chitchat. He was there to train her.

 _Him._

"So, are we doing this?" he inquired, his low voice tinted with amusement at her flushed face, and Emma gulped.

"Err, you mean – you're training me?" her voice quivered, and Roman nodded as he smirked.

"Looks like it," he shrugged, extending a hand in her direction. Emma hesitated before she placed her trembling hand in his, and Roman squeezed it reassuringly.

"Don't worry, you'll kick my ass."

* * *

 _There it is ! Leave a review please ;)_


	5. Part 5

**Protection: Part 5**

The front door of the cafe chimed as Emma made her way in, her index and thumb peeling at the sleeves of her shirt as her eyes darted across the room. She spotted Alexa right away, her bright blonde hair hard to miss in the small shop. Her friend gave her a warm smile as she sat in front of her, and the two girls exchanged pleasantries as Emma ordered a large latte for herself, watching as Alexa seemed to be enjoying hers.

The young women hadn't spent much time together since that one day on the beach, before Pete had snuck into her room on the same night. Before Pete had tried forcing himself on her a few days later. Before Pete nearly died.

Emma felt a pang of guilt deep in her stomach as Alexa breezed over the subject, saying something about the British man still being in intensive care, the doctors unaware of when or if he'd get better.

"Anyway, it's a whole mess. I still can't believe that happened," Alexa concluded, waving a strand of hair out of her face as her eyes went wide. "Can you imagine?"

Emma gulped, her fingers curling into her palms above her knees. "I know."

Alexa went soon enough to a lighter subject, realizing she wasn't getting much out of her friend. Emma tried her best to focus on what she was saying, but her mind was clouded by worries, making it difficult. For once in her life, she actually had a normal (ish) teenager problem she needed to talk over with her friend, and she couldn't find the words. How did you go from talking about a man beating another into a coma to young crushes and girl talks?

"I messed up."

Emma blurted the words out in a flash, interrupting Alexa in the middle of a tirade about her latest shopping escapades. Her friend was momentarily stunned before leaning forward, her brow furrowed together.

"Messed up _how_?"

Emma glanced at the windowsill, her stare landing on Ambrose's large frame as he stood outside, leaning on the hood of her traveling car, focused on his phone. She'd mentioned something about needing privacy with Alexa, and Dean had been respectful enough to stay outside. Emma felt slightly guilty, as she forced him to stay outside as she sat comfortable in the coffee house, but he didn't seem to mind. Alexa followed her gaze and confusion grew upon her face.

"Geez, what the hell did you do?" she inquired, feeling the nervously radiating off her friend. "He's outside, hun, he won't hear you."

Emma nodded, clearing her throat as she repositioned herself to face Alexa. "I, uh, I did something stupid. Like, _so_ stupid." Emma paused, but Alexa egged her on, waving her friend into continuing. "You know how I've been training a little? Well, yesterday, we were grappling, and we ended up on the mat and, uh…"

Alexa's eyes were glued to Emma as the latter talked, her coffee left forgotten on the table as she focused her attention solely on what she was saying. Emma felt uncomfortable under such focus, but shook herself out of it and finished her thought.

"I kissed him."

Alexa let out a loud squeal, alerting the attention of everyone around them. Emma shushed her quickly, glancing once more at Dean and making sure he was out of earshot. Her blonde friend had a large grin etched across her face as she giggled softly.

"Oh, _please_ tell me it's dark tattooed guy with the nice face, please tell me it's him, please, please, please," Alexa excitedly answered, her hands connecting as though she was begging her. Emma let out a long sigh, and nodded.

"Yeah, that'd be him."

Another squeal erupted through Alexa's lips as she bounced on her chair, causing Emma to growl as she was clearly not as amused as she was.

"Lexie, it's not a good thing!" Emma pleaded, her voice breaking as she let her face fall into her hands. "It's not good _at all_!

"Oh, come on, of course it is! He is _so_ dreamy," Alexa insisted, and Emma snapped her head back to her direction with a hard stare.

"That's not the point!" Emma replied harshly, breathing in a large amount of air as her heartrate quickened. Talking about Roman had that sort of effect on her lately. "He's… He works for my dad, and he's my trainer now, and…"

Emma interrupted herself, her airway tightening as thoughts twirled in her mind. She had been going through all of it since the day before, every time coming to the same conclusion.

She'd messed up, big time.

"He's the only person I feel good around," she finally admitted, her eyes dropping to the table in shame. "In my house, when I'm stuck in there, he's… He's the only good thing."

Her face fell into her hands once more, letting her words crash into her as she did so. The thought had been pulsating through her brain for a while, but only after her mishap did she realize how true it rang. For most of her life, she'd felt completely inadequate, unfit for the world she was brought into. Small, fragile, a weight on her father's shoulder he needed help carry.

Not with Roman. Never with him.

"I messed up so bad, Lexie," Emma cried, feeling her friend's hand land on her upper arm in comfort.

"Maybe you didn't, Em. What happened exactly?" Alexa asked, her tone now serious, her voice soft and laced with concern. Emma sniffed a few times, revealing a tear strained face and flushed cheeks. "Can you give me some details, maybe?"

Clearing her throat, Emma nodded her head, her sleeves catching the wetness off her cheeks as she wiped it away. "Y-Yeah."

* * *

 ** _Details_**

 _The day before…_

 _Roman was already waiting for her when she entered the home gym, his grin illuminating the room as she shyly waved in his direction. They had been meeting every other day, in the early morning, to work on her training. Roman insisted that consistency was key, and that it was important to keep at it as often as possible._

 _Not that Emma minded. Roman in workout clothes, teaching her moves and his attention focused on her for a few hours four times a week was more than she could ever ask for. He was attentive and serious in his training, but easy going enough to let her catch on to her own rhythm. Everything seemed to be going perfectly._

 _Until that day._

 _It had been only a week since they started, but Emma was getting the hand of the basics quite well. Roman kept praising her on her technique, congratulating her for practicing even when they didn't meet. Every comment from him had her cheeks blazing, but the constant effort and the redness across her entire body from the effort were enough to hide it, something Emma was very thankful for._

 _Today, they were practicing holds, more precisely how to get out of them. Roman had spent a good deal of hours focusing on getting away from someone when they held you standing, but insisted that it was ten times harder once you made it to the floor. Once she'd been comfortable enough with the first part, they had moved on to harder holds, leaving them spending most of today's training close to the mat, if not lying on it completely._

" _Am I hurting you?" Roman's gruff voice spoke as he hovered above her. He had one hand wrapped around both her smaller wrists, talking her into pushing him away, when a look of pain had crossed her face, freezing him on the spot._

" _No!" Emma insisted, though Roman's grip on her loosened nonetheless. "I was just… It felt familiar, you know…" she trailed off, and his eyes darkened as he seemingly knew exactly what she meant. "It's fine though, honest."_

 _Roman nodded, but she knew he was taken back to that night now, and cursed herself for reminding him. She'd tried her hardest not to let the fear overwhelm her as some exercises brought her back to the exact reason she was doing this in the first place, but it was difficult. Especially since Roman had been the one to rescue her, and he'd been so worried of scaring her in any way._

" _You have to tell me when you're uncomfortable, Emma," he told her, letting her wrists go completely but not moving from his position. Emma's stare fell to his chest, his eyes holding a depth she was too shy to face, and nodded softly. "I mean it. The last thing I want is for you to remember this and be scared and – "_

" _I know," she interrupted him, swallowing her shakiness down. "Sorry."_

" _No, I'm sorry. I should be more careful," he sighed, and the tone of his voice brought her eyes back to his face. His features showed genuine concern, and her heart leapt in her chest at the sight. That, and the fact that he was so very close to her she could feel the heat radiating from his body._

" _You're perfect," she corrected him, the words leaving her lips before she could think them through. Roman's eyes widened, his reaction delayed as Emma's face was suddenly right on his, her plump lips barely grazing on his own. He let out a sharp breath, Emma's gasp snapping him out of his trance as realisation hit her._

 _Panic struck her as she backed away, cursing herself in every tone, vocabulary and language imaginable, her face lighting up and her breath quickening in a flash. She couldn't believe what she'd just done, or that he had even let her, or not pushed her away yet._

 _That was short lived, as Roman suddenly stood up, taking a few strides away from her, his palms up, chest heaving. He looked like a doe caught in headlights, his eyes full of fear and his brow sweaty. Emma's heart sank, the distance between them heavier than a mountain._

" _I have to go."_

 _His voice was small and his words unfelt, but he left nonetheless, and Emma let herself fall to the floor. Limp._

* * *

"He left?"

Emma could barely answer, the recollection of the previous day's events enough to send her back into a sad mess. She felt utterly embarrassed, the thought of Roman thinking less of her enough to break her heart into a million pieces.

"I feel so stupid," Emma sighed, her sight focused on her own hands rather than on her friend. She needed some sort of reassurance, but even as she told the story, she knew it was hard to give in this situation. The guy had literally bolted after she kissed him. If that wasn't rejection, the word had to be redefined.

"You're not stupid. You obviously like him," Alexa spoke, catching her friend's hand and squeezing her fingers. "And if he's anything like you described him, he'll understand, and you guys will just go back to being friends. That's it."

"He ran away from me, Lexie. He could barely _look_ at me," Emma insisted, refusing to let herself be fooled into Alexa's easy conclusion. "He obviously thinks I'm an idiot."

"Don't say that! You don't know that."

"Except I do," Emma finished, taking a deep breath to control herself. "I'm supposed to see him tomorrow and I have no idea how to even face him. What if he doesn't show up? _Oh god._ "

Alexa paused, letting Emma take a second to gather herself before their eyes met once more. The shorter girl sent her a stern look, pressing her words.

"If you love him that much, don't let this ruin the friendship you guys have. Show up tomorrow, and see how it goes," Alexa proposed, her small hand still wrapped around Emma's. "It was barely a kiss. It'll be fine, trust me."

Emma stayed silent, her voice lost someone between her fear and what Alexa had just said. It was sound advice, in any case, which she would surely follow. She just had to show up and deal with it, like a damn adult.

And like an adult, she thanked Alexa for her kind words, and let the conversation run its course. The pair separated an hour or so later, after Dean had gotten fed up of waiting outside and sat close to them in the coffee house. She liked him very much, but his presence was making things awkward, and the two girls decided to cut the date short.

Meeting Alexa to talk about all this had been beneficial, really, but left Emma in a state of distress. Her hands trembled all the way to the villa, her friend's words echoing in her head so strongly she could barely hear her own thoughts.

 _If you love him that much…_

 _If you love him…_

 _You love him._

* * *

"This is the third one I bought this year, I ain' doing that again, Uce, ya better calm the hell down!"

Jey's voice cut Roman's fast pace hitting, his large body turning in the direction of his cousin as he struggled to catch his breath. The punching bag he was currently murdering swung in various directions, the chain squeaking loudly as they stared at each other.

"Don't tell me to calm down," Roman growled, pointing a finger at his cousin, stretching the tight training tape around his knuckles. "I need this."

Jey let out a loud sigh, taking a few long strides forward as Roman went back to hitting the bag with no restraint. The taller man showed no sign of slowing down, and Jey's nostrils flared as he watched the poor bag crumble under his eyes. "Ain't you got plenty of those at your fancy new job?"

Roman didn't answer, instead hitting even harder, about as hard as necessary to pop his shoulders out of their sockets. Watching his cousin puff and grunt as he went, Jey's hands wrapped about the bag, steadying it as to help out and keep an eye on him.

"What's up, Uce?" he wondered, his face betraying concern. His tone caught Roman's attention, and he took a few more swings forward until slowing down, and stopping. "You been ragin' ever since getting home yesterday. Somethin' wrong?"

Roman stepped around from where they stood, unwrapping his hands slowly as he pondered his words. His knuckles were starting to swell, but he welcomed the ache as it kept him grounded and focused.

"The girl," Roman mumbled, shaking his head at the floor as his jaw clenched.

"What girl?"

Roman huffed, staring his cousin down with an annoyed expression as realization hit Jey like a brick.

"What about it?" Jay asked, trying to play it off nonchalantly. Truth be told, he knew Roman had been bothered by the young girl for some time, but figured it would go away. It was ridiculous in all accounts, if he had anything to say about it.

"She kissed me."

Jey's mouth curved into an o-shape as he let out a loud _whoop,_ clearly amused at the confession. Roman seemed less than amused, however, and he quickly collected himself, a smirk still visible at the corner of his lips. "Oh, it's like that, huh?"

"It ain't funny," Roman spat, letting out an aggravated sigh at his cousin's reaction. "I'm not laughing."

"Awh, come on, bro! So, girly's got a lil' crush on ya, _big deal_ ," Jey replied, shrugging. "She'll get over it. You don't owe her anything."

"It's not that simple, Jey," Roman insisted, letting himself fall on the nearby couch. "We're friends, and she's really sweet, and she doesn't deserve my coward ass running outta there like some kid."

Roman felt a pang of guilt hit him right in the chest as he said it, seeing himself running out of the gym over and over again and feeling worse about it every time. He hadn't meant to run away, but he couldn't think of anything else to do. If he'd stayed, he'd have had to talk to her, deal with it, see her face of panic again, her eyes watery. He couldn't face it.

"She's just a kid with a crush, Ro. Don't kill yourself over it."

"She's not _just a kid_ , OK?" Roman spoke, his voice louder than he expected it to be. He cleared his throat, trying to pace himself lower his tone. "She's… great. Funny, smart. If it wasn't for her, I don't think I'd be working there at all," he admitted, his gaze falling to the floor.

"Oooh, I see. Ya got a crush too," Jey concluded, his smirk getting wider as Roman's head snapped up and sized him up with dark eyes.

"Fuck off," he grunted, displeased with the teasing tone and unwilling to acknowledge what had been said. "You don't know anything."

"Climb off you fuckin' high horse, Don Juan," Jey spat, taking a step towards his cousin as their eyes met. "I haven't met ya little girlfriend, true, but here's what I do know: ya boy the boss-man is gunna kill you if you lay a damn finger on that girl."

Roman held Jey's hard stare for a long second before his eyes dropped, his face falling into his hands as another sigh rolled off his shoulders. "I know. Fuck, _I know_."

"Kiss or no kiss, this can't happen, a'ight? It's that simple."

Roman gulped, having come up with that conclusion on his own but not truly facing it until it came out of his cousin's mouth. He knew Jey was right, he always did, but it didn't mean it didn't hurt. Truth be told, Emma's kiss had caused a series of emotions deep within him he had no idea were there. He knew he liked her, that was obvious, but the feel of her body against him as their lips connected had lit a fire that had yet to die down since pulling away.

Now, it seemed to consume him completely as he realized he just _couldn't have her_.

It wasn't going to happen. Kiss or no kiss.

* * *

For the first time, Roman wasn't there waiting for her when Emma get to the gym the next morning. She had half a mind to turn around and run away, seeing it as a sign that this wasn't a good idea. She still worried he wasn't going to show up, her chest squeezing at the thought.

Emma placed her water bottle on the floor, getting to her warm ups in an attempt to get out of her own head. Even if he wasn't there, didn't mean she couldn't train. Didn't mean she was going to let it break her, either.

"Sorry, I'm late," Roman apologized as soon as he stepped foot inside the room. Emma interrupted all movement as he strode over, his grey sleeveless shirt tight enough on his abdomen and chest that she forgot what she was even doing.

His eyes wouldn't meet hers, which she was thankful for seeing as she couldn't stop staring at the curve of his shoulders all the way down his biceps and large hands. To think she'd been pressed up against him not two days earlier, theirs lips touching at that, had Emma gulping loudly.

" 's fine," her voice spoke, the words getting lost in her trance. "Just got here."

Roman barely nodded as he cleared his throat, letting his own bottle fall close to hers. The bottles knocked together slightly as he did, and he seemed taken aback as the action got them to fall over. Roman's eyes snapped in Emma's direction, her cheeks now red from embarrassment.

It was almost too much to bare; the silence, the awkwardness, the gym clothes, the damn bottles falling over each other. It felt like the universe was making this harder than it ever needed to be.

"You ready?"

Roman seemed adamant to ignore whatever had transpired between them during their previous training, and Emma obliged. She was more than happy to pretend nothing had happened if that meant moving on from it and forgetting about it altogether.

"Yeah."

Roman focused on stretching as Emma finished warming up, the pair of them doing their own thing instead of talking and joking around like they usually did. Finally, when they were done, Roman proposed tentatively to go back to what they had been training during their previous session, seeing as they hadn't been able to finish.

No more than ten minutes later, Emma was successfully getting the hang of keeping her arms and legs locked straight in order to keep an attacker's body away from hers. Even if Roman tried what seemed his hardest to hover over her, the strength of her legs and arms, as he taught her to, were enough to keep him at bay.

"You're doing great, Em," he complimented her, a slight smile forming on his lips for the first time that day. Emma felt a thousand times lighter at the sight, her worries fading.

Maybe, just maybe, it was going to be fine. They would get on with their friendship and forget her stupidity for two days before. This is all she wanted, and for a second it felt like she was going to get it.

"Thanks, Roman," she replied, her pink cheeks blazing as they sat on the mat. Emma had her legs crossed in front of her, as Roman rested on his heels, his knees firmly pressed on the floor. He towered above her as they caught their breath, their grappling more demanding than it would seem.

"You, uh... You're a good student," he went on, hesitation in his voice. Emma wondered if that was all that he meant to say, but since he spoke nothing else, she didn't press him.

"Only as good as my trainer," she teased, chuckling as a grin erupted on his face. "What happened to your hands?" she suddenly asked, having noticed as they trained that his knuckles seemed damaged. They didn't look as bad as the night she had to patch them up, but they were red enough that she could notice at first glance.

"Ah, nothing," he waved it off, sitting himself next to her on the mat. "Got a little too carried away on the punching bag last night."

"You should be careful, I can't be there to patch you up all the time."

She meant it as a joke, but the laughter was short lived as Roman's head hung low. Instinctively, Emma reached over to place a hand over his forearm. Roman's stare went to her small hand over his tanned heated skin, his sense suddenly flaring up at her touch.

"Are you OK?" she asked him, and Roman couldn't help but think how sweet she was being, once again. At any sign that he wasn't well, she would get so genuinely concerned, it was almost overwhelming. "Did I say something?"

"No, no, of course not," he reassured her, his large hand covering her small one over his arm. She let her fingers slip away as her hand landed into his, the comforting squeeze he gave her forcing her heart to leap inside of her chest. "Don't worry 'bout it."

"You worry about me quite a bit, the least you can do is let me return the favour," she replied, smiling softly at him, squeezing his hand back. Roman let out a long sigh, and for a second Emma wondered if she was going too far again. They were awfully close, their hands connected, their words soft and full of meaning. What is too much?

"It's my job to worry about you."

Emma's smile fell, slipping her hand out of his grasp. It always came back to the same thing, but she never quite seemed to get used to it. Roman was hired to do a job, and she was mistaking his kindness for more, every single time.

Roman seemed taken aback that she was suddenly edging away from him, and he attempted to grab her hand again on instinct before stopping himself. This was exactly what he'd agreed he shouldn't do. He shouldn't get too involved with her, shouldn't get too close, or he'd get burned.

Or worse; he'd get killed.

"Emma."

His tone was stern as he pitifully tried to get her to stay where she was, and it seemed enough to get her to stop moving away.

"What?" she replied, frustration evident on her features. She was looking down at her lap, her eyes too watery to meet his. "We don't have to talk about it or anything. You don't have to let me down easy. I'm fine," Emma's voice quivered slightly as she spoke, standing her ground the best way she knew how. "It's fine."

"Emma, look at me."

"I don't want to," she sighed, feeling's Roman tentatively place a finger under her chin. She resisted him a few seconds before looking up, meeting his pleading eyes, his face so very close to hers.

"It's not fine."

Emma would have replied had Roman's eyes not darted to her lips, his finger under her chin now replaced with a palm on her cheek. She could barely register what was happening before their lips were connecting, her breath catching in her throat as Roman's facial hair tickled her soft skin. Their kiss was short, but enough to leave her whimpering as he pulled away.

Roman's eyes closed, his forehead leaning against hers as he let out a deep sigh. His hand still rested on her cheek, and Emma took it as an opportunity to pass her fingers on the other side of his face, making him open his eyes to stare at her.

"It's not fine at all."

* * *

 _A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed this! Thank you for the comments, the follows and the favourites, it means a lot :) Please review if you liked this, it means the world to me! Laters xx_


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